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After reading all the responses about what meds should continue to be taken, what meds should not...no wonder the medical field is confused and diverse. As mentioned before, my husband's doctor indicated Namenda and Aricept are worthless meds. Honestly, folks I realize everyone is different, but these meds did absolutely nothing to slow or help my husband's Alzheimer's. Not the dosage which was increased, decreased, stopped, started, combined, isolated, etc. Also, my husband has a tendency to wander. However, the doctor refuses to put him on an anti-anxiety med. He has been found outside walking the streets, in the woods, even attempted to enter a stranger's home wherever he feels his day should take him. Mentioned this to his doctor as I am concerned my husband could be hit by a car, fall in the woods or arrested, but nothing has been prescribed. The reason---anti-anxiety meds could cause cancer. They also lead to confusion that may contribute to falls. So, the confusion continues...does anyone have a balance on meds for Alzheimer's patients. I explained to my husband's doctor it is impossible to watch him every minute. I try and do the laundry...he wanders outside. I start to cook and find him in the back yard. As a result, the house is a disaster and being a 24/7 caregiver I am stressed off the charts. He refuses to go to an adult day activity center, swore at a VA caregiver that came to the house to watch him causing the caregiver to leave within 15 minutes---I'm at my wits end. No one seems to be able to help---meds are given, but frequently changed. Husband refuses to shower and stinks like a skunk. No one wants to be near him! He has the furniture smelling, the carpets stink and I am ready to leave him. If there are any meds out there that really help Alzheimer's patients, no one seems to know what they are. I hate winter, but look forward to it. It's the only season of the year my husband does not venture outside because of the cold.
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GrammyM, we went through the motions of my dad wandering and climbing over the high wall to get out. He even took a train, bus or taxi into the city. We too were at our wits end, but we insisted he try out a nursing home. In hindsight we were not happy with the N/H, but had little choice. We felt he was safer and the doctor put him on strong 'calming' meds, for more control. It worked in one way, but physically messed him up completely. Perhaps you need to chat to a different doctor.
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GrammyM....the reason the doctor gave..that the anti-anxiety medications could cause cancer seems to me to be not a good response.
Your husband has dementia...what will effect him more or cause his death first...dementia or a cancer that he may or may not have already. (cancer cells can be undetectable when very small making accurate diagnosis impossible)
I think his safety and for his peace of mind and yours an anti-anxiety medication would possibly help.
As to the wandering there are many way to track someone. There are chips that can be placed in the clothing or even a cell phone can be used to track someone. My husband had a wristband tracker system called CareTrack through our local County Mental Health Department.
Please let the police know that your husband has dementia and that he wanders. This way they will be quick to respond if you report him missing.
You can provide a current photo, detailed description this way they have the info if needed. Also let the fire department know so they can possibly tailor a response knowing that your husband might not respond if they call out in an emergency
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GrammyM: " Confused" OR "Diverse?"
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If your mom is in Stage 7 of dementia. Meaning unable to talk, ambulate, hold her head up, smile etc. She is probably headed to not being able to swallow medications too. Are you giving the medications for her or you? Does it matter if she has high cholesterol? Does she need vitamins? Thyroid? Anemia medications? People with dementia don't die of dementia they die of something like pneumonia, heart, respiratory, not eating or drinking. If you stop all medications I do recommend that she be on a hospice so comfort medications can be given if she gets infection, is uncomfortable and for your support.
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My mother's doctor prescribed Aracept when she was first diagnosed with dementia/Alzheimers. As a result, she became paranoid and very difficult to control. My family and I decided that we would take her off any medications related to the disease. I told her doctor, "If you don't tell me it cures her, then no medication." Fortunately, he respected our wishes. Our goal was to focus on other areas of her health like nutrition and keep her as physically healthy as possible. She had no other health issues until she passed away two weeks ago from a stroke. Daily aspirin didn't even prevent that. It was our personal belief that all medications have side effects, so if it doesn't relieve pain or save your life, don't take any. Your family must make the decision of what you think is best for your loved one.
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YvetteN, agreed with your statements. However, some dementia patients get so agitated, paranoid, and anxious that not only are they in turmoil that is hard on them, it is also hard on their caregivers. So in those cases I have seen from experience that anti-anxiety meds are a huge help to mitigate those unfortunate symptoms of dementia.
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A complement to all who have responded. Yes, this is a terrible and tragic disease with no medicine or help in sight. Doctors do not start morphine early on wandering and anxiety patients. Namenda and Aricept have been a misconception making pharma companies and medical profession rich. A calming medicine should be recommended and I for one am promoting that the GP enter the picture to address vitals and prescribe accordingly. The problem with hospice is the Medicare timetable.
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CCRhea: Vonette suggested that your LO has lost the gag reflex. True?
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My mom is almost to the severe stage. She is still happy and she knows who I am, enjoys food, laughs at television, can sing patriotic songs, but she is otherwise out of it. She doesn't complete many sentences, but instead says a few words and then starts to sing. I stopped the Namenda and Aricept a year and a half ago, because it would no loner be beneficial as her cognitive decline was pretty far along. Also, those drugs can interfere with sleep and reduce the appetite. My mom now takes a seroquel 25 mg at around 8 pm to help her sleep through the night, and she also takes depakote 125 mg and l-tryptophan 400 mg one in the morning & one in the evening to moderate her mood. She doesn't like to take pills because she thinks she doesn't need them, so we use a pill crusher, and we open the capsules and dump them with her crushed pill into apple sauce or yogurt or ice cream. That might not be the ideal delivery method, as some medications are supposed to dissolve in the small intestine, some in the stomach, etc, but it works for us and her doctor has no objections. I am of the mind, in general, the less medicine the better. We also give my mom gummies for probiotics, fiber and multi vitamins, and she thinks they are gummy bears, so she takes them gladly. So she gets 6 "pieces of candy" daily!
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