Anyone with experience in using THC/CBD chews to help with anxiety caused by Alzheimer's, especially Sundowner's Syndrome? So far, so good!

My mom 86 year old with dementia hasn’t slept a night in months! I’m frustrated and angry! Geriatric doctor just keeps changing/experimenting with different meds… seretoyl loraxapan tradezone melatonin…. Nothing helps! Two of them had to be stopped immediately because they caused major hallucinations, mom was talking to pieces of furniture! Now she’s having bathroom “accidents!” All we want is her to be comfortable and get some sleep! WE need sleep!
But nothing is working. Friends have suggested CBD but we are afraid … no experience or knowledge of it.
If a doctor says it’s ok I think we would try it.

Please get your mom to a psychiatrist, preferably one that deals with geriatric psychiatry. Lorazepam is ok in hospital settings but not the usual medications given long-term. A psychiatrist can evaluate, treat and prescribe medications to help with anxiety, agitation, and sun-downer's syndrome. My concern with CBD products is the lack of standardization in production or "active ingredients". One "batch" may work with 1-2 servings and another may require much more. I prefer treatments that are more regulated.

CBD I have problems with as l the purity ?
As far as THC.....love it
brain injury (75 / 80 years ago & with advise of pharmacist from dispensary now & THC daily

Marijuana also increase the risk of confusion and falls--falls are the leading cause of death among the elderly. THC will reduce reflexes and the elderly already have that compromised. These compounds can also increase risk of vertigo and even aspiration.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7909838/

caregiving1955: That is great about the THC/CBD gummies; I'll assume that you received your mother's physician's okay before ceasing the prescription medication.

I don’t know if anyone has spoken to this, but there are over 100 endocannabinoids in cannabis/marijuana, of which THC and CBD are the most commonly known. CBD lacks the psychoactive effects that many people may associate with the characteristic “high”. CBD is also found in hemp.

THC has two different strains that will affect the body differently - indica vs. sativa. Sativas are known for their “head high,” an invigorating, energizing effect that can help reduce anxiety or stress and increase creativity and focus. Indicas are typically associated with full-body effects, such as increasing deep relaxation and reducing insomnia. (Indica puts one “in da couch”.)

I would say a combination of a sativa (THC) and CBD probably offers the most benefits.

DISCLAIMER: I am not a medical doctor or medical professional of any type. This is my personal assessment of information and data available to the general public.

My Step mother got ahold of my half of my medical gummy, I was freaking out, because she's a fast chewer, even without teeth, lol .
So I didn't want to get her agitated more by taking it out of her mouth, so she chewed it up. I Didn't know what else to do, so I sat with her like always, and about 40 minutes in, she was so calm and laughing and talking up a storm.
IT WAS AMAZING, CALM, NO SMACKING ALL DAY! I COULD'NT BELIEVE IT
MIND BLOWING AND SO NICE TO SEE HER LIKE THAT!!!
THC/CBD ( INDICA )
She is 86 yrs. Has had Alzheimers for 18 yrs.

I don't think the science is there yet and we are still in the test-dummy stages. Personally, I believe this is the safest stage in life to experiment with medications that calm without harming.

I bought a couple of CBD gummy jars for calming husband's tantrums. Not sure they worked or if he even took them regularly. I think I'll have him take it at dinner on a regular basis.

We found a bottle of Buspirone in his cabinet and contacted the doctor. He said it would help his anxiety, but do not let him drive. So, now we're going to start it.
Here are some professional opinions for you to look over: https://www.mayoclinic.org/search/search-results?q=alzheimers%20and%20cbd

I am curious to know which brand of CBD gummies and which strength. I had been giving my mom CBD oil drops morning and night, but then we switched to only before bed. My 82-year-old mom with dementia does not have trouble sleeping whatsoever; in fact, she sleeps too much into the late morning. But during the day she can be very irritable and agitated. She takes escitalopram, which is Lexapro, 20 mg.
Personally, my experience with available medical professionals through my mother's Medicare Advantage HMO has been terrible. We are in the desert area of Southern California, and one IPA has a MONOPOLY with all of the Medicare Advantage insurance companies: Aetna, Humana, Scan... all of them. All of the doctors are on overload, as there are so few PCPs, specialists, or behavioral healthcare providers. Many of the PCPs have decided to only accept PPOs. The wait times to see a provider can be up to 3 months, and when you go in, they are in such a hurry and so overwhelmed that they really don't care. It's pathetic. I have had to open a case with my senator and representative in Congress because I can't get anywhere with my grievances with Aetna Medicare Advantage.
But paying a therapist $140/week, who was recommended by the Coachella Valley Alzheimer's Association, has been a godsend. She is diplomatic with my mother and helps my mother make better decisions about her new daily life without a car. She is a licensed clinical social worker, and I can actually use her as a go-between between my mother and me. I have been fighting to get coverage for this out-of-network therapist because there are no therapists in the IPA network that will work with a dementia patient. So my mother's healthcare needs are not being met.

Back to the CBD gummies! Can you please provide the information on the gummies? I will get some for my mother for her daytime agitation. Thank you! I don't know if this platform allows for PMing.

That is so great! Good to know.
my mrs. took Lorazepam too and we had to cut it down about to 1/4 a tablet (hard to do!) or else it would just knock her out. Thanks for sharing!

CBD is actually good for the brain and memory; however, THC isn't. It's worth a shot but I suggest you try the CBD ones in a higher dose which help relax but eliminate the THC component, which gives the "high".

Please check with your mom's doctor before changing, adding, discontinuing any medications. My mom's neurologist (mom has vascular dementia) told us that CBD does not always interact nicely with other medications and can actually cause more harm than good. Also, as others mentioned, do your research regarding where the CBD is coming from as not all is the same.

A couple of things I would advise - to be safe. Ensure that whatever you are buying - you are getting from a reputable store that can guarantee or is safely ensuring the levels in their gummies. And I would 100% ensure that you are talking to her doctor to make sure that there is no chance that any of her other medications can interact. I don't have a problem with them in general as long as they are legal where she is so there is no chance of legal fallout (and they aren't being abused) . They help a lot of people. But depending on where they are purchased the levels may not be regulated and fillers may not be safe. And medication interactions need to be monitored closely.

With any medication I'm always concerned about making my mom groggy or light headed which might cause a fall. For that reason I would, personally, avoid Rx benzos, would probably be concerned about using CBD, and probably wouldn't even give mom melatonin.

However, I did add an herbal supplement that has passionflower and lavender to her daily vitamin pill minder last year when repair work had to be done on her house and she was a nervous wreck. I have taken that supplement myself and it does not make me drowsy, dizzy or light headed, and I thought it was safe to add to her night pills. I definitely noticed a difference and it was much easier on both of us to make it through that construction chaos and noise.

It is worth trying.

TCH/CBD has worked well for Parkinson’s

I know they usually give lorazepam/Ativan or Xanax to calm dementia patients but we were told by the senior mental health inpatient center that these both are bad for dementia patients. Even when we told the ALFs they continued. All it did was create the agitation they were trying to alleviate and did nothing for the anxiety, depression or paranoia. Now mom is on haldol every 4 hours. Crazy sedation but her other issue is falling so she really shouldn't be walking. I doubt they will prescribe gummies which is too bad because it is legal where she lives.

Awesome! Thx for sharing.

Interesting.... I'm glad you have found something that works for you.
You mention 5mg, but what is the THC/CBD ratio?
Given the bewildering number of strains available did you work with a medical marijuana dispensary to determine the most beneficial product or were you just winging it?

Side note here I do hope her doctor is aware that she is now taking THC/CBD gummies.
Just like any medication there can be side effects and stopping or starting a medication can have problems.
If this is working for you/ for mom great. Like a lot of medications what works for one does not always work for another and what does is effective for one another may need a different dose to be effective.

Caregiving1956

Wonderful news. glad it is helping.

Oh almost forgot to say. Yes I have used the drops (no THC) for my dh aunt, her dog, my back. This was several years ago. I know beyond a shadow of doubt it helped all three of us.

I tried using CBD gummies w/o THC for my mother with dementia & they did absolutely nothing. The only reason was the Memory Care would not allow the gummies with THC to be given out by the QMAPS which is sheer stupidity, when you think about it, since it's all legal here in Colorado anyway. And a much better choice IMO than prescription sedatives. But I'm glad your mom is having a positive reaction with the gummies, that's great news!

I also agree with Geaton that who cares about long term effects of CBD gummies? These elders with advanced dementia & ALZ aren't going to be around 'long term' anyway, so the only thing that matters is short term relief.

What's your definition of "long-term"?

It wasn't legal up until recently, so how could there be any long-term studies?

Also, medical studies rely on accurate feedback from study subjects. How do you think someone with advancing dementia/ALZ would be able to tell anyone anything about what's going on with their bodies? It's not possible. That's one of the reasons why there are so few drugs for people with cognitive impairment.

What could be worse than the long-term effects of dementia/ALZ on a person? Side-effects from THC will probably be the least of their problems...