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Garryowen Asked December 2014

Anti-depressants for Alzheimer's. Any recommendations?

pamstegma Dec 2014
EEEEK! Not for Alzheimer's! There are very specific meds for Alzheimer's, and tossing in an SSRI often backfires badly. See your MD asap.

BarbBrooklyn Dec 2014
He should be evaluated by a geriatric psychiatrist.

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Garryowen Dec 2014
My Dad who has severe stage Alzheimers has been waking up every morning crying, saying where did the people go. I'm assuming he's asking for his deceased loved ones as he mentions his grandmother. So I was thinking it might be time for antidepressents. But I want to be careful cause sometimes they can make other problems. Thank you for answering me.

jeannegibbs Dec 2014
Antidepressents treat depression. They do not treat Alzheimer's. Often people with dementia also have depression, and drug therapy for that can be very helpful. A doctor should do a careful evaluation to decide whether some of the patient's symptoms are in fact depression.

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