Has anybody experience of the effect of stopping Memantine?
My husband (who has been in an NHS Dementia Unit for over 18 months now) was started on Memantine over a year ago. It did seem to improve his responsiveness and comprehension to some degree, which helped reduce the episodes of aggression a little.
However, inevitably his condition is deteriorating, both mentally and physically, and in a recent conversation with his Consultant (on the doorstep of the hospital, as I am not supposed to enter the ward as I am on Chemotherapy again and have a compromised immune system) the Consultant said that it seemed that the Memantine seems to have lost its effectiveness and that at some point we should discuss whether it should be discontinued. He is aware of my situation and was certainly not pushing the issue and said that the decision could wait for the time being.
I am inclined to agree with the Consultant that the Memantine has lost its effect, as my husband's brother and I agree that there has been a marked downturn in the last 2 months or so.
The consutant also said that my husband was one of the two most 'difficult' patients still, as he is still aggressive, especially when the staff are carrying out interventions, although they are incredibly sensitive to my husband's mood and don't push things if they don't have to. My husband attacked a visitor recently, and sadly it was her first visit to the ward, taking her husband for week's respite care, so presumably she was in a pretty fragile emotional state herself - she complained to the hospital Trust and I believe there was a bit of a hoo-ha, but I was assured that it was not my problem, and it has been dealt with. This is the man who wouldn't harm a fly, what a terrible thing this disease is.
I get most of my information by phone, as I can only visit once a week now when my brother-in-law takes me over there and brings my husband out from the ward so that we can sit out in the garden for a while together (it has to be a nice day and one when my brother in law isn't working).
Even if the Memantine is holding things back a bit still, I sometimes wonder if it is kind to drag the progress of the disease out any longer than would occur naturally.
Any thoughts or experiences would be welcome.
Many thanks and kind regards to all.
Ruthie
My husband (who has been in an NHS Dementia Unit for over 18 months now) was started on Memantine over a year ago. It did seem to improve his responsiveness and comprehension to some degree, which helped reduce the episodes of aggression a little.
However, inevitably his condition is deteriorating, both mentally and physically, and in a recent conversation with his Consultant (on the doorstep of the hospital, as I am not supposed to enter the ward as I am on Chemotherapy again and have a compromised immune system) the Consultant said that it seemed that the Memantine seems to have lost its effectiveness and that at some point we should discuss whether it should be discontinued. He is aware of my situation and was certainly not pushing the issue and said that the decision could wait for the time being.
I am inclined to agree with the Consultant that the Memantine has lost its effect, as my husband's brother and I agree that there has been a marked downturn in the last 2 months or so.
The consutant also said that my husband was one of the two most 'difficult' patients still, as he is still aggressive, especially when the staff are carrying out interventions, although they are incredibly sensitive to my husband's mood and don't push things if they don't have to. My husband attacked a visitor recently, and sadly it was her first visit to the ward, taking her husband for week's respite care, so presumably she was in a pretty fragile emotional state herself - she complained to the hospital Trust and I believe there was a bit of a hoo-ha, but I was assured that it was not my problem, and it has been dealt with. This is the man who wouldn't harm a fly, what a terrible thing this disease is.
I get most of my information by phone, as I can only visit once a week now when my brother-in-law takes me over there and brings my husband out from the ward so that we can sit out in the garden for a while together (it has to be a nice day and one when my brother in law isn't working).
Even if the Memantine is holding things back a bit still, I sometimes wonder if it is kind to drag the progress of the disease out any longer than would occur naturally.
Any thoughts or experiences would be welcome.
Many thanks and kind regards to all.
Ruthie