We are considering putting mom on an anti-psychotic for hallucinations and delusions...any thoughts?

It definitely worked for my mother- far fewer hallucinations (and they were nicer- fluffy cats visiting her) and it definitely took the edge of her paranoia. But as it doesn’t work for everyone, monitor her behavior carefully. Best of luck. Oh- and we didn’t notice it affecting her Parkinson’s.

My mom's geriatrician has some patients on up to 400mg Seroquel a day. Some need it, my mom was not one of them, her dose maxed at 75mg a day.

There was always the option to discontinue meds. I chose not to. Mom's behaviors were manageable with the meds she was taking. If it isn't broken don't try to fix it, especially if it was going to effect mom negatively.

Mom's doctor put her on a low dose of Seroquel at night before bed. It has been a miracle drug for her. She sleeps all night and is in a better mood all day. She used to cry all day. She doesn't do that anymore! Just don't read the label. Lol

My mom has Alzheimer's/dementia and has had terrible delusions and hallucinations. Seroquel has been a good sent and has worked great for her. Make sure they start low dose and give it time. It took about 3 days before I saw a big difference.

A different issue yet may it help.

My dad has dementia. He used to say something is wrong with his brain, and had paranoia. I have him on 2000mg Coconut Oil every day and use homeopathic oral sprays when needed, Liddell's ANX or Bach's Rescue Remedy (online or health food stores).
He responds very well to them and he's a big guy (6', 188 lbs).

Prayers that you be guided to whatever is best for your mum.

Absolutely not - I gave my dad Seroquel and he turned into zombie mode. I have been giving him 2 Tbsp of organic extra virgin MCT coconut oil tasteless and odorless and putting in his water or you can put in shakes. He doesn’t hallucinate as much at all. Forget about drugs !!! They only mess your mind up more.  He has dementia and is 89 years old.

Of course weigh the benefits vs negatives. I will say that my mother was put on Invega Sustenna for psychosis and the one side effect that effects mostly elderly women who are put on this drug is tardive dyskinesia, which she experienced. The doctor never warned us about this s/e. She has been off of the med for over 6 months and STILL has tremors (mouth, legs, hands). If I had known... But we must all make our own decisions. Best of luck!

Nana, since dementia is an incurable condition, and since keeping a person with an incurable condition pain- and symptom-free is a desired end, many of us here can see the benefit to accepting the risks attendant in using a black box drug.

I hope that find a med or treatment that has an acceptable risk level for you and helps keep your husband out of terror and from harming himself or anyone else.

There ARE things worse than sudden death.
Harming or killing a loved one springs to mind.

Dad was put on Olanzapine for delusions when he began to act on them. He followed a voice in mid winter up to a park and was waiting there until a neighbour noticed him. He doesn’t have Parkinson’s. The dose has been brought down to a minimum effective dose. On a higher dose he became very feeble, but the dose he’s on now is working. Whilst he still hears voices, especially if he’s upset about something, they are not as distressing to him as they were. It makes it possible to keep dad here with me. I could not have continued the way things were and it was escalating.

Correct... Do not take Anti Psycotic Meds with the black box warning in high dosages. It could cause sudden death in people with dementia. I am currently trying to taper my husband down since he has Alzheimer's.

Mother, who has vascular dementia was put on a low dose of risperdal for her paranoia and delusions/hallucinations. It worked quickly and well with no obvious side effects. Three years later they have taken her off it and she is fine without it. Sometimes it is only needed during certain stages of the disease.

The question is not ALF or medication. If she goes to and ALF (MC), and they find her disruptive, they will likely insist on medication.

The good news with Seroquel is that it doesn't take long to see the benefits. It's not like antidepressants.

Dad was given Seroquel while in hospice, due to a long period of violent hallucinations and living in complete terror. (He believed he was continually the victim of violent crime, and that violence was occurring all around him.) It probably did make him sleepy, or maybe it was the morphine hospice eventually added? Either way, I don't care -- any break from those hallucinations was a good thing, though I think sleep was his only real break. (At least it seemed he slept peacefully, though I can't be sure.)

Dear vadvca,

My father had a terrible sensitivity to medications. It was not right for him. I feel terrible that so many of our parents have turned into lab rats. Doctors trying this and that and sometimes not knowing what works and what doesn't.

I hope you can find the right balance for your mom. I know the right meds can make a difference but its just getting there that is so hard sometimes.

Seroquel didn't do anything to help with mom's behavior other than make her extremely sleepy
Rather than keep increasing the dosage we switched her to risperdal which has allowed her to stay feisty but more approachable

Look up what Parkinson.org says about Seroquel. Here is a quote: "There are now three antipsychotic medications that are considered safe for people with PD. They cause limited worsening of Parkinsonian symptoms while treating hallucinations and delusions. These medications are pimavanersin (NuplazidTM), clozapine (Clozaril ®) and quetiapine (Seroquel ®)."

This is straight from Drugs.com;
Important information
Never take Seroquel in larger amounts, or for longer than recommended by your doctor. High doses or long-term use can cause a serious movement disorder that may not be reversible. Symptoms of this disorder include tremors or other uncontrollable muscle movements.
Stop using Seroquel and call your doctor at once if you have the following symptoms: very stiff (rigid) muscles, high fever, sweating, confusion, fast or uneven heartbeats, tremors, uncontrolled muscle movements, feeling light-headed, blurred vision, eye pain, increased thirst and urination, excessive hunger, fruity breath odor, weakness, nausea and vomiting.

Seroquel is not approved for use in psychotic conditions related to dementia. It may increase the risk of death in older adults with dementia-related conditions.
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That said, you will have to weigh the risks against the benefits for your mom.
It didn't seem to do anything for my mother (95 yrs.-stage 6 Alz.)

My mom was on Seroquel. She started with 12.5mg a day about 4pm for sundowning. It was a miracle drug for her too. Over the course of three years the dosage increased to 75mg a day, still about 4pm, still once a day. Mom had Alzheimer's. Give it a try and if it doesn't seem to help check with doc and give something else a try.

My husband had Lewy Body Dementia and I belonged to a caregivers support group. Nearly everyone in the group had tried Seroquel for their loved ones. (It is common to suggest that for LBD.) About half the group saw no benefit in it, and stopped. Once in a while a loved one would be worse with it and their caregivers stopped it. The other half found great benefit in it. It was the miracle drug for our household. Without it I doubt I would have been able to keep my husband home.

How would you know if your mother could benefit from it or not? Alas, there is no way to determine that in advance. You'd have to try it and see.

If you decide to try it, ask the doctor what benefits you can expect to see if it works. Ask how long it should be before these benefits show up. And then monitor the results carefully. Ask to have it discontinued if you don't see a benefit is a reasonable length of time.

I thought there was a new drug recently approved for paranoia in Parkinson's. Did I get that wrong?

My mom has been on Seroquel for a couple of years. It takes the edge off. I think it is worth trying.