I have just been asked to reduce the use of drugs prescribed to my Mum for dementia and wondered if anyone has had any experience of reducing/stopping mediation prescribed for dementia?
Mum was diagnosed with Alzheimers disease in 2001 - the progression of the disease has been slow but it is now severe. She knows her name but very little else. She has been living with me, her daughter, since 2011. I thought I had found a suitable residential care home (rated outstanding for dementia care) for her but after attending it for day care for several months was told that Mum had become very disruptive and needed one to one care which they were unable to provide. Fortunately Mum now goes to a dementia day centre on 3 days each week and they seem to be able cope with her.
Mum sees a psychiatrist every 6 months and we saw a locum consultant psychiatrist last week. After asking Mum if she knew where she was, what town she lived in and what day of the week it was and receiving no reply, she asked me to confirm the medication Mum was on(for dementia) and then suggesting reducing it. Mum is on donepezil (5mg) one a day, memantine (20mg)one a day, mirtazapine (45g) one a day, She also takes calcium and ibandonic acid for osteoporosis and bisacodyl for constipation. I said I would consider a reduction in dosage and asked her what she would suggest. She asked me to reduce the memantine dosage to 10mg every other day for 2 weeks and than stop using it. I was concerned about such a significant reduction in such a relatively short time so have done some research and found that NICE now recommends memantine for severe dementia and donepezil for mild/moderate dementia. Therefore it would seem that if any medication should be dropped it should be donepezil.
Mum was diagnosed with Alzheimers disease in 2001 - the progression of the disease has been slow but it is now severe. She knows her name but very little else. She has been living with me, her daughter, since 2011. I thought I had found a suitable residential care home (rated outstanding for dementia care) for her but after attending it for day care for several months was told that Mum had become very disruptive and needed one to one care which they were unable to provide. Fortunately Mum now goes to a dementia day centre on 3 days each week and they seem to be able cope with her.
Mum sees a psychiatrist every 6 months and we saw a locum consultant psychiatrist last week. After asking Mum if she knew where she was, what town she lived in and what day of the week it was and receiving no reply, she asked me to confirm the medication Mum was on(for dementia) and then suggesting reducing it. Mum is on donepezil (5mg) one a day, memantine (20mg)one a day, mirtazapine (45g) one a day, She also takes calcium and ibandonic acid for osteoporosis and bisacodyl for constipation. I said I would consider a reduction in dosage and asked her what she would suggest. She asked me to reduce the memantine dosage to 10mg every other day for 2 weeks and than stop using it. I was concerned about such a significant reduction in such a relatively short time so have done some research and found that NICE now recommends memantine for severe dementia and donepezil for mild/moderate dementia. Therefore it would seem that if any medication should be dropped it should be donepezil.