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Elderly Patients with dementia-related psychosis treated with atypical antipsychotic drugs are at an increased risk of death compared to placebo. RISPERDAL ® (risperidone) is not approved for the treatment of patients with dementia-related psychosis.
I just took the above off the risperdal website.
mom needs a NEW DOCTOR! No wonder the side effects scared her!
Google some geriatric docs in her area and set her up with a new doc. You'll both feel better!
hang in there and you can do this!
good luck
Bobbie
We tried Namenda for five days or so, and though I noticed her walking improved and she was starting to use things like light switches again, she mostly wanted to nap and had fitful twilight sleep that was delusional. So, back to Zoloft and Ativan.
I know these side effects go all over the map with people. Because the physical side effects were so severe with Seroquel, they sparked their own paranoid delusions, so heck with that.
Oh, Mom had delusions about stuffed toys being her babies, or a cute baby greeting card...that is her child. Ok, go along with it. But then she crosses the line where she's paranoid about them. Okay, pretend is over. I drag out reality and have her come present. "Mom, come into the room and be present. Look around and be part of reality. These are not real living babies, they are toys. They are cute, they are adorable. But they are not alive. Look, they all have tags, and they are made of fabric.That's the good news, Mom, is that they are toys you can love, and they cannot die cause they are not alive. And the good news is that your fear is only a thought, so you can change your mind. So come back out of your head and look around..." and so forth...
I mean, why not try it? So far, three or four times I've had to use it, it has worked. She stopped clutching her fists to her eyes, relaxed, looked at her toys, and was fine.
I see it like sitting for someone who is on a bummer, a bad drug trip. I assume this will not always work, but so far I'm the only one to shoot up a flare for "reality." Alzheimer's 0, Reality 3.
I also found the Namenda on a website and learned more about it. Mom was acting out and out of control. the Namenda helped tremendously.
Google is your friend. just type in anything you want to know about and start sifting through it all.
You could research a few drugs based on your mom's needs and discuss them with the NEW dr. Only an idiot dr is against new information and the one you choose will look forward to your input!
you gonna be fine
Bobbie
It was beyond the scope of my medical know how...I did not know it was the Ativan causing this actually. At the ER, by the time I got there after the ambulance, they were torturing Mom and I threw a fit. I got them to figure how to sedate her, using a full day's dose of Ativan IV...whee...she didn't care one swat about anything after that. She was Rx'd for uti, which turned out to be false positive..but meanwhile immediate relief...and my RN niece who used to work in the geriatric psych ward said, "Oh, ativan and that class of drug used to cause urinary retention often with my patients."
WHAT...I find out from my niece about there. Where was everyone at the hospital on this subject? I took the chance and took Mom off Ativan, swearing to use just for severe paranoia...and guess what...some muscle cramps withdrawal for four days maybe...and then no delusions...not the ones she had pre-Seroquel. not the paranoia...then I took her off Zoloft and her functioning went up a level. she's reading National Enquirer instead of baby picture books.
Look up Beers Criteria for guide about how to do trials of weaning your senior off drugs.
If I were old and frail and knowing I was losing track of things, I'd be darned paranoid about my money as well. I hae had enough experience with sisters and the Public Guardian's office (supposedly protecting her assets) to see how the money grab works...
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