I am new to this...my wee granny has been recently diagnosed with early stage dementia...she is quite alert and able to do most everything for herself. She can be a bit forgetful at times and may forget what day it is.. she has been given donezepril(think that is the spelling) and from she has started it she wakes every morning with a splitting headache and can be quite emotional crying etc. she has only been taking the tablets for 4 days and now she has said she doesn't like the way they make her feel so she is refusing to take them I can physically see that the tablets make her withdrawn and then when they wear off she is agitated and just wants to get out of the house and walk about.....we are having a hard time in convincing her of her condition and that the tablets are there to help her. she seems to be in a state of denial and this is causing great upset for her and our family. we don't know how we can progress and get her to take the tablets.. any advice, tips and information would be helpful
My wee granny recently diagnosed with early stage dementia
- Thread starter smeenan
- Start date
Tell doc & get the tablets stopped, they don't agree with everyone. My mum was on them had every side effect & no benefit. She was crying & stomach cramps & aggressive. My mum was on these first, didn't work, then tried Rivastigmine patches which interfered with Parkinson's meds & no benefit. Now she's on Memantine which I thought were working til today. They seem to knock her off Parkinson's wise & she gets an anxiety episode about hour & half to 2 hours after taking half a tablet but I thought her mood was better in the afternoons but she's been terrible today.
Hello Smeenan and welcome to TP.
There are other medications that can help your Grandmother so have a word with her doctor and tell him/her about the symptoms she is experiencing. Hopefully there will be something that will suit her and help her.
Keep coming to TP and use the knowledge that we as carers have accumulated from caring for someone with the many different forms of dementia.
Take care,
Jay
There are other medications that can help your Grandmother so have a word with her doctor and tell him/her about the symptoms she is experiencing. Hopefully there will be something that will suit her and help her.
Keep coming to TP and use the knowledge that we as carers have accumulated from caring for someone with the many different forms of dementia.
Take care,
Jay
With the same original symptoms my husband was diagnosed with AD 20 months ago. He has taken no drugs at all. Yes, he is becoming more forgetful and has very little logic but on the other hand without drugs he has no side effects to contend with and is in good general health. If the drugs are making your granny feel worse then maybe she would be better off without them. Talk to the GP but keep in mind this area is still experimental.
My mum has the same problem
She was diagnosed 5 weeks ago with Alzheimer's and put on Donepizel 5mg for a month and has just started on the 10mg daily dose she is 56 years old. She also complains of head pain day and night she sometimes suddenly feels that her face has got really hot and her brain is going to get crushed and has problems going to sleep. when mentioned to the Nurse Consultant she said try and take the tablet during the the day and not night but has not made a difference
She was diagnosed 5 weeks ago with Alzheimer's and put on Donepizel 5mg for a month and has just started on the 10mg daily dose she is 56 years old. She also complains of head pain day and night she sometimes suddenly feels that her face has got really hot and her brain is going to get crushed and has problems going to sleep. when mentioned to the Nurse Consultant she said try and take the tablet during the the day and not night but has not made a difference
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