Are there any meds that help dementia patients with anxiety and anger that don't make them zonked?

My father-in-law had Parkinson's Disease which was accompanied by dementia. He was anxious, fretted about his finances, and had trouble differentiating between reality and his very vivid dreams. His worry over the subject of his dreams stayed with him. His neurologist tried him on lorazepam and a couple of other drugs in the "pam" family. We found through research that this family of drugs was often not good for a PD patient. Eventually we got to hydroxide which was prescribed as a sleep aide. This helped with his sundowners, let him rest more comfortably at night and seemed to manage his anxiety as well. It is supposed to be non habit forming and had no side effects that we noticed. Take care and the best of luck.

It's very hard you want them comfortable but also would like them to have a conversation very hard to attain that happy medium. My mom says she going to kick my a** and then she passes out. She is one tough chick. The patch and antivan keeps her comfortable we can hear clearly all the dirty words lol but that's it she takes ice chips coke. And some ice cream teaspoons full not much but better than nothing I think you just have to see what works you. Day 3 pray for my mom and to be taken out of this agony.

No med can do the better than your love. I hope you will find some better solution.

I thought FDA has banned Risperdal on eldery, especially dementia patients, quite a while.

None of the antipsychotics are FDA approved for agitation in dementia patients. However doctors are allowed to prescribe "off-label." It's supposed to be done as last resort, after trying alternatives, and after warning patient and family of the risks. (Using antipsychotics in dementia has been linked to a higher risk of death, risk of falls, etc.)

While the FDA issues warnings that anti-psychotic meds may lead to death, factual evidence presents that a patient who is waving a twelve-inch butcher knife at others is at considerably greater risk of imminent demise.

Very true pamstegman! I think often it's easy for doctors & experts to under-estimate the stress on families and caregivers.

My grandad started being mean to my wife who stays home with him. He has demintia and we have lived with him and taken care of him for four years now. Anyways his doctor put him on depakote and it seems to have helped with his anger

Dr's just put my mother on depakote to try and calm her. I'm hoping it will help with the anger also. She has demintia and is very agressive and combativeand verbally abusive. She just had surgery to remove an infected knee replacement joint and has since gotten much worse. They have tried the antivan, seroquel, Xanax and others. She cannot get out of bed and is currently in rehab for the knee but will not cooperate with the therapist so we will either have to put her in a nursing home or take her home with home health. I work a full time job and can not afford to quit. It is so mentally exhausting and frustrating, but you know they are not themselves and they don't mean it, but it still hurts. I am also dealing with a mother in law with stage 4 lung cancer and am having to help take care of her also, so I am frazzled! Praying for all caregivers that go thru this.

My mom has taken to crawling on the floor, under tables and especially loves to roll up the rugs! She has PPA with dementia. She already takes 1mg of ativan x3 a day and respirdone at .25mgs x2 a day. She doesn't hurt herself or anything else but what is normal under these conditions? Anyone else experience this?

Good luck everyone. I had my lip split open by my MIL (hence my photo here), my back injured when she knocked me down and then proceeded to bash me several times with her walker--the abuse went on until she died. And now my own health is in the sewer. I feel cheated out of the 17 years of caregiving that went on until I am too ill to enjoy my own life now that she's gone. She lived to be 98 and the combative dementia, in spite of seraquel, didn't help. Nothing helped. Death helped. And someday death will help me.

I WAS GIVING MY DAD , A DEMENTIA PATIENT, 95 IN AUGUST, 1/4 OF VALIUM AT 5:00PM FOR SUN DOWNING/AGITATION. IT SEEMED TO WORK. YOUR THOUGHTS? KAREN

ZWILLMAN, if it seems to work, that is hard to beat! Valium is a prescription drug. Was it prescribed for your dad? If not, I'd discuss it with his doctor.