Medication advice - anxiety/agitation

Val74

Registered User
Sep 8, 2020
20
0
Before I ask, I know everyone is different so has different responses. But I am interested to hear what medication people have found helpful in managing anxiety associated with dementia/Alzheimer's?

My uncle was prescribed Citalopram with no benefit, then switched to Sertraline. Sertraline stopped as Respiridone was prescribed instead, worryingly without a doctor even having seen him. Its impact was massively negative and after a battle it has now been stopped. But the downside of being more alert is the awful distress he is now experiencing. Just wondered what people's helpful experiences may have been please?
 

jennifer1967

Registered User
Mar 15, 2020
23,146
0
Southampton
have you asked for referral to older peoples mental health. they can do an assessment and the consultant could prescribe something different. you go through the gp for a referral. my husband was given sertraline and it did raise the mood but not enough so he was prescribed another tablet alongside it and he is so much more relaxed, calm and happy
 

lollyc

Registered User
Sep 9, 2020
947
0
Before I ask, I know everyone is different so has different responses. But I am interested to hear what medication people have found helpful in managing anxiety associated with dementia/Alzheimer's? My uncle was prescribed Citalopram with no benefit, then switched to Sertraline. Sertraline stopped as Respiridone was prescribed instead, worryingly without a doctor even having seen him. Its impact was massively negative and after a battle it has now been stopped. But the downside of being more alert is the awful distress he is now experiencing. Just wondered what people's helpful experiences may have been please?

Mum doesn't take a dementia medication, but has Mirtazipine 45mg (anitdepressant), Quetiapine 100mg (anti psychotic?) and Lorazepam 0.5mg (sedative, used as required.) She has suffered from constant crying, constant talking, and severe anxiety, and these do help. Over the last 2 years the doses have gradually increased, as behaviours reappear.
 

lemonbalm

Registered User
May 21, 2018
1,799
0
Mirtazapine was helpful for my mum. We also found that regular paracetamol was beneficial along the way. The Mirtazapine was changed at one point from evening only to a late morning and evening dose, which helped with extreme afternoon agitation.
 

Val74

Registered User
Sep 8, 2020
20
0
have you asked for referral to older peoples mental health. they can do an assessment and the consultant could prescribe something different. you go through the gp for a referral. my husband was given sertraline and it did raise the mood but not enough so he was prescribed another tablet alongside it and he is so much more relaxed, calm and happy
Can I ask what he was prescribed alongside it please? Sertraline has been mentioned here but he used that previously and wasn't much help. We've had referral, finally a doctor has seen him for the first time in almost two years, potent meds prescribed without ever having seen him, it's not been a great experience to be honest, Covid or no Covid.
 

Val74

Registered User
Sep 8, 2020
20
0
Thank you, he's had some of these, reacted badly to some and others had no positive impact. Seems that he's already at peak point of distress by time he takes them, but others just zombify him. It's hard to find a happy medium.
 

Val74

Registered User
Sep 8, 2020
20
0
Apologies to you all as don't know whose comments my replies have gone against, am unfamiliar with site navigation. Thank you all for your input, I will have a look into those you mention. Thank you.
 

jennifer1967

Registered User
Mar 15, 2020
23,146
0
Southampton
Can I ask what he was prescribed alongside it please? Sertraline has been mentioned here but he used that previously and wasn't much help. We've had referral, finally a doctor has seen him for the first time in almost two years, potent meds prescribed without ever having seen him, it's not been a great experience to be honest, Covid or no Covid.
he has memantine as well as the sertraline. the sertraline is only a low dose and he worked up to 20mg of memantine. both were prescribed by mental health consultant and after a review, was discharged back to his gp. the memantine he takes at night.
 

karenbow

Registered User
May 24, 2021
106
0
he has memantine as well as the sertraline. the sertraline is only a low dose and he worked up to 20mg of memantine. both were prescribed by mental health consultant and after a review, was discharged back to his gp. the memantine he takes at night.
hi jennifer my mum took donepezil as well as memantine mum may have been at a later stage although she started taking both about 2yrs after diagnosis - mum didn,t have any side effects ,didn,t make her drowsy or more incapacitated , just seemed to lift her mood a bit and a little bit back to her normal self, it really helped
 

jennifer1967

Registered User
Mar 15, 2020
23,146
0
Southampton
hi jennifer my mum took donepezil as well as memantine mum may have been at a later stage although she started taking both about 2yrs after diagnosis - mum didn,t have any side effects ,didn,t make her drowsy or more incapacitated , just seemed to lift her mood a bit and a little bit back to her normal self, it really helped
my husband has vascular dementia so there are no tablets. he only was given memantine to help with his behaviour and symptoms. which is all they can do.
 

Val74

Registered User
Sep 8, 2020
20
0
Thanks for the updates guys I will look into memantine too. Dementia/Alzheimer's is of the most awful things, so sorry you're all going through it too.
 

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