What Treatments are Available for Dementia?
KNOW YOUR DEMENTIA MEDS
Dementia remains a complex and poorly understood area of medicine. We present our professional experience after reviewing the medical literature and years of practicing geriatrics. We hope this will begin a discussion of drugs that may help dementia patients. We work to minimize all medications. We also try to identify medicines that may be causing problematic symptoms. Most often, compassionate communication alleviates the worries and confusion of our patients who suffer from dementia.
Dementia Prescription Drugs
Yet sometimes, medication may be the best choice: A few drugs may help delay or decrease the progression of dementia. Others may relieve some of the behavioral symptoms of dementia that can make life intolerable. For example, caregivers may have tried myriad interventions—stress relief, activities, compassionate workarounds—but the dementia patient may continue to believe that you are trying to poison him. They may refuse to wash or fight back when being helped to bathe. They may become outraged over minor incidents during the day.
What is the Best Medication for Dementia?
Life can be better than this. In these cases, medications may be part of the solution. “Goals of care” should underlie the process of deciding whether to use drugs and which ones to use: Should the focus be on avoiding all the medical consequences of aging? Should we try to improve the days remaining for each dementia patient?
Nothing written here is a prescription for any particular patient. No use of these medications is without some risk. Therefore, a physician with an ongoing relationship with the patient should determine what course of treatment makes sense. We can not be responsible for any outcome of any use of these medications. The treating physician decides which drugs should be prescribed for the patient. We are interested in your comments.
Common Medications used for treating Dementia
Ativan
Below is Dr. Landsverk’s take on the use of Ativan as outlined in her new book: Living in the Moment: A Guide to Overcoming Challenges and Finding Moments of Joy in Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias which can be purchased through our site from the link above.
‘Treating the behavioral symptoms of dementia remains controversial … Paradoxically, this has resulted in the common prescription of antianxiety drugs like lorazepam (Ativan), alprazolam (Xanax), and clonazepam (Klonopin) for people with dementia. While tranquilizers like these may yield short-term results—improved behavior for a few weeks—they’re highly addictive. If used for more than a few days in elders with dementia, the withdrawal syndrome often leads to delirium or worse behavior in elders. These drugs can remove inhibitions, cause paranoia, and increase confusion and falls.’
To learn more about the side effects of Ativan on your loved one Click here
Haldol
The following is from Dr. Landsverk’s new book: Living in the Moment: A Guide to Overcoming Challenges and Finding Moments of Joy in Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias
‘Haloperidol (Haldol), an older medication, may alleviate delusions, hallucinations, and paranoia, but it causes extrapyramidal symptoms in 30 percent of those treated, also restlessness, walking problems, and general stiffness. This medication should also be avoided in patients with Parkinson’s disease; it is dangerous in that the person can become immobile. This drug stays in body fat for some time, so effects often linger even after the drug is discontinued.’
Read more about how Haldol affects your loved one
Tramadol
The following is from Dr. Landsverk’s new book: Living in the Moment: A Guide to Overcoming Challenges and Finding Moments of Joy in Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias
‘Some medical professionals believe that if a patient doesn’t complain about pain, there is no pain. Unfortunately, patients with dementia may not be able to identify the source of their distress. When those with dementia hurt, they may act out or they may become withdrawn. It is a mistake to treat agitation from pain (such as distressing arthritis or musculoskeletal pain) with a sedative like lorazepam (Ativan), rather than with pain-control measures…’
If you’re looking for more information about how Tramadol affects Dementia Patients Click Here
Xanax
The following is from Dr. Landsverk’s new book: Living in the Moment: A Guide to Overcoming Challenges and Finding Moments of Joy in Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias
‘If used for more than a few days in elders with dementia, the withdrawal syndrome often leads to delirium or worse behavior in elders. These drugs can remove inhibitions, cause paranoia, and increase confusion and falls. The person may be better for a few hours after a dose, but if these meds—particularly Xanax, which is twice as powerful as Ativan and shorter acting (the “crack” of anti-anxiety drugs)—are used more than a couple times a month, they often cause more problems than they solve. These drugs start to produce more agitation, poor sleep, or confusion. That leads to an increased dose of Xanax, which increases the withdrawal symptoms, which leads to another increased dose. It becomes a vicious cycle.’
Learn more about the effects of Xanax on Dementia Patients
There is more information on medications on our Helpful Links page.
However, it is not a complete list of side effects, or interactions. This is intended to be used independently with the directions of a physician who knows the person well.
Dr Liz Geriatrics cannot be responsible for any outcomes of these medications that have not been evaluated by myself or one of my clinicians.
We present this summary to give practitioners and the public some information about medications that have been important in the care of our patients. In this challenging area of medical care, we hope that it is of use.