My mom was diagnosed with cognative memory loss, not Alzheimer's. Both her parents died of Dementia, not Alzheimer's. The doctor prescribed her both Aricept and Namenda. After 1 week on these pills her symptoms became increasingly worse and she suffered from all of the typical side effects. After a few weeks she was so bad she fell and hit her head, leaving her to be hospitalzied for several days. The hospital stopped giving her Aricept, but she continued Namenda for a few more weeks after that. Her symptoms did not improve. We decided to take her off of the Namenda as well, and after about a week, we can tell she's slowly coming back to where she was before she was on any medication. Could all of this be because she does not suffer from Alzheimer's Dementia, but rather a different kind that is not meant to be treated with such medications? What is an alternative at this point? The doctor wants us to put her back on the meds even after hearing about their effects on her.
This is a tough question, with no easy answer. Often, dementias, regardless of the cause, respond to similar treatment. Some people, however, are sensitive to medication and are not helped by drugs that help others tremendously. Continuing being an advocate for your mom with her doctor, but listen to his suggestions, too. Ask him, "Why do you think she'll respond next time?" and listen to the answer carefully. In the end, you must be your mother's advocate and speak clearly for her. Good luck to you and God bless you and your mother.
Sharon
They have been used "off label" for other forms of dementia, most commonly Multi-infarct or vascular dementia. sometimes with good results, but not always consistently, but if there is no contraindication, you can talk with your doctor about the potential risks benefits and if it is worth a trial.
My significant other has progressive aphasia dementia. His neurologist always (wrongly, I feel) lump all dementias together and put him on aricept and namenda. My boyfriend, since being on namenda, has become increasingly emotional and, recently, combative. The assisted living he was living in has now sent him to a psychiatric hospital to have his meds adjusted. After one week, he is calm and is trying to speak, with some limited success. This is a battle that I have been fighting for 5 years. Since I am not his power of attorney, and his power of attorney has no interest in finding out about the differences in dementias, it has been an uphill battle. I do not believe that alzheimer's meds should automatically be prescribed for any form of dementia. I know distinguishing types of dementia is difficult, but I feel that, in this case, the meds have not been monitored appropriately.
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Posted by lnm6
My mom was diagnosed with cognative memory loss, not Alzheimer's. Both her parents died of Dementia, not Alzheimer's. The doctor prescribed her both Aricept and Namenda. After 1 week on these pills her symptoms became increasingly worse and she suffered from all of the typical side effects. After a few weeks she was so bad she fell and hit her head, leaving her to be hospitalzied for several days. The hospital stopped giving her Aricept, but she continued Namenda for a few more weeks after that. Her symptoms did not improve. We decided to take her off of the Namenda as well, and after about a week, we can tell she's slowly coming back to where she was before she was on any medication. Could all of this be because she does not suffer from Alzheimer's Dementia, but rather a different kind that is not meant to be treated with such medications? What is an alternative at this point? The doctor wants us to put her back on the meds even after hearing about their effects on her.