Medication Changes

Sharon G

Registered User
Jun 5, 2007
9
0
Greater London
My father suffers with mixed dementia - Lewy Body and Vascular and was lucky enough to be placed on Excelon, which he has benefitted from for approx 3 years. It has been suggested that he might get a further 'honeymoon period' if he changed to Aricept but I am not too sure whether this would be a good move as my father is particularly sensitive to any changes in drug therapy. Has anyone had any experience of changes (good or bad) with anti-dementia drugs? I thought the three main drugs were basically the same or do they act in different ways? If anyone has any advice or has faced a similar dilemma, please let me know. Thank you!
 

Annoula

Registered User
Dec 4, 2008
155
0
Greece
hello Sharon,

my mother was on exelon but had nothing good about it. it was a period of time full of nightmares and very upsetting.
she then changed to aricept and seems ok. i can't say if the drug is helping but at least she has no nightmares now.

take care.
 

ROSEANN

Registered User
Oct 1, 2006
909
0
75
staffordshire
Hi Sharon
My husband was on Aricept for three and a half years until this year when we noticed a big decline, the doctor said she thought it was not working anymore and would we try an Exelon patch.

We tried this but he got worse so he was taken off all anti-dementia drugs.
I have to say although his memory span is very bad and the confusion is worse he seems to be stable at the moment.
I was expecting him to get alot worse without the drugs but at the moment he is not doing to bad.
I hope you get things sorted.
Love Roseann
 

Sandy

Registered User
Mar 23, 2005
6,847
0
Hi Sharon,

I tend to agree with Lynne.

Also, almost all the information I can find about Lewy Body Dementia (LBD)mentions Rivastigmine (the generic name for Exelon) and, as you said, that people with LBD can be very sensitive to changes in medication.

If you look at these pages (provided by the BMJ - British Medical Journal) on the three types of cholinesterase inhibitor drugs, ypu will see that only Rivastigmine is mentioned in terms of LBD:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/besttreatments/dementia-treatments-rivastigmine

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/besttreatments/dementia-treatments-donepezil

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/besttreatments/dementia-treatments-galantamine

So unless your dad's consultant can cite some new research or something equally compelling, I'd be tempted to keep things as they are.

Take care,

Sandy
 

Sharon G

Registered User
Jun 5, 2007
9
0
Greater London
Thank you all so very much for your views. Talking Point is such a fabulous source of information, support and straightforward advice. Thanks again ... very much appreciated.