Medications and Alzheimer's
There is currently no drug to reverse the symptoms or cure Alzheimer’s disease.
There are two types of drugs approved to treat memory loss
- The cholinergics are given as soon as memory loss is detected and include Aricept, Exelon, and Razadyne. People should only take one of these medications.
- Namenda is a supplemental medication that is approved for moderate-to-severe dementia. It is usually given with a cholinergic, however may be given alone if the person is unable to tolerate any of the cholinergics
Medications may also be given to help with mood for the following reasons:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Severe agitation, aggression, or violence
- Psychosis, hallucinations, illusions, fixed false beliefs, severe paranoia
- Mood-altering medications can be tricky to prescribe and often it takes several weeks to see their real effect.
- All of the medications given for memory loss or mood tend to be introduced at low doses and increased slowly. When stopping them, we tend to taper rather than discontinuing the medication
- Some antidepressants interact with dietary supplements and herbal preparations. Check with your pharmacist before combining anything.
For more information
This advice was adapted from "When Memory Fades. . . The Caregiver's Challenge Begins,'' offered by Banner Alzheimer's Institute.
