Dad is 91 and is in reasonable physical health. He was diagnosed with mixed AZ and VD about 3 years ago. In the last year we have seen a decline, especially in terms of sundowning/evening confusion and agitation which takes the all too familiar forms of "wanting to go home" (they are in their home of 50-odd years) and wanting to see his parents - and not knowing my mum or believing he is married of course.
Before Christmas (15 December-ish) he was reassessed by the consultant who decided to prescribe memantine to try to help with the evening agitation and give my poor mum (who is just fantastic) an easier time. He was on 5mg initially and has now gone up to 10mg - has been on that higher dose for 2 -3 weeks.
We have not really seen much of an improvement. So what I wanted to ask this group was - does anyone have a view on whether we should give the 10mg a bit longer, or whether I should contact the his dementia nurse to talk about increasing the dose? We are not expecting miracles, but we had hoped (stupidly) that the memantine might calm him though we had not expected any improvement in the confusion.. As I said to my mum, I don't care who he thinks I am as long as he is happy - or happier - and I know she feels the same.
I tried not to hope the medication would make any difference because I know that with this disease there is no hope, but I'm afraid I did just the same. John Cleese's words in the fim "Clockwise" seem so very apt: "It's not the despair. I can stand the despair. It's the hope I can't stand".
Thanks to anyone who has any advice to offer.
Lesley
Before Christmas (15 December-ish) he was reassessed by the consultant who decided to prescribe memantine to try to help with the evening agitation and give my poor mum (who is just fantastic) an easier time. He was on 5mg initially and has now gone up to 10mg - has been on that higher dose for 2 -3 weeks.
We have not really seen much of an improvement. So what I wanted to ask this group was - does anyone have a view on whether we should give the 10mg a bit longer, or whether I should contact the his dementia nurse to talk about increasing the dose? We are not expecting miracles, but we had hoped (stupidly) that the memantine might calm him though we had not expected any improvement in the confusion.. As I said to my mum, I don't care who he thinks I am as long as he is happy - or happier - and I know she feels the same.
I tried not to hope the medication would make any difference because I know that with this disease there is no hope, but I'm afraid I did just the same. John Cleese's words in the fim "Clockwise" seem so very apt: "It's not the despair. I can stand the despair. It's the hope I can't stand".
Thanks to anyone who has any advice to offer.
Lesley