Hss your loved one been prescribed Seroquel for delusions?

Posted by barb @barb52, Dec 12, 2025

Has anyone had there loved one's prescribed Seroquel for Alzheimer's with delusions and hallucinations ? Her doctor just prescribed it for her, and all that I have read it is not a first Choice ....only a last resort !
Any one had it for your LO and how did it work ? Thanks Barb

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Caregivers: Dementia Support Group.

Profile picture for hughmcguire4 @hughmcguire4

I just weaned my wife off of the lowest dose of Seroquel. It's not only a drug used reluctantly for the elderly but it had no effect on my wife's hallucinations. She has been thinking there are two of me and from a few to several other people living with us upstairs. IF our caregiver recommends a newer med, we'll see.

Jump to this post

@hughmcguire4 , I hope you find something helpful. My understanding was that the med helped with agitation. Not preventing hallucinations, but helping keep the mind calm so it’s not as upsetting. It helped my family members but everyone is different.

REPLY
Profile picture for celia16 @celia16

@hughmcguire4 , I hope you find something helpful. My understanding was that the med helped with agitation. Not preventing hallucinations, but helping keep the mind calm so it’s not as upsetting. It helped my family members but everyone is different.

Jump to this post

@celia16 We're going to try something else from a different provider later this month.

REPLY
Profile picture for hughmcguire4 @hughmcguire4

I just weaned my wife off of the lowest dose of Seroquel. It's not only a drug used reluctantly for the elderly but it had no effect on my wife's hallucinations. She has been thinking there are two of me and from a few to several other people living with us upstairs. IF our caregiver recommends a newer med, we'll see.

Jump to this post

@hughmcguire4 I too stopped the Seroquel. It didn’t help with my husband’s hallucinations either. He now takes Sertraline. It doesn’t stop the hallucinations either, but it does seem to help keep him calmer and more manageable.

REPLY
Profile picture for hughmcguire4 @hughmcguire4

@maryvc Suggestion. Amazon has a package of four "night lights" that have several modes. Always on, lights up when motion in detected, on/off at dusk/daylight. $26.49. I got these in Oct. after she fell in the bathroom. Now with the light set to turn on when motion is detected as soon as she swings a leg out to the floor the light comes on and doesn't turn off until one minute after she is back in bed. And I can sleep through it, though I know she is up. I also got
Toliet safety rails to help her raise herself up from the toliet. The other light are strategically place through out the first floor making softly lit areas for both of us.
SEE BELOW.
AUVON Plug-in LED Backlit Night Light with Motion Sensor & Dusk to Dawn Sensor, Dimmable Amber Nightlight with 1-50 lm Adjustable Brightness for Bedroom, Bathroom, Stairs, Hallway (4 Pack)

If Amazon doesn't have it, it isn't made. Except for food we always check Amazon first. Our nearest good shopping area is 15 miles away.

Jump to this post

@hughmcguire4

I wanted to add that this winter I've been using Amazon for food shopping also. Fast, free delivery for Amazon Prime members. We get fresh produce, dairy products, meat etc, all brought promptly to our door.

REPLY

My wife (55, Alz.) was recently started on Seroquel during a hospital stay for delusions and hallucinations. The doctor wanted to keep it low to start and avoid respiridone, which she tried for one week during the fall and it caused tremors. In the hospital, they started her on Seroquel 25 mg, 3x/day and 50mg at bedtime. After a couple weeks at home, I asked her regular psychiatrist to simplify this, and he shifted it to 50mg in morning and 75mg at night. He didn't want to move to the extended release because he wasn't sure it would be as effective over 24 hours, and we would have to increase to 150mg - the next ER available. Between the prozac and Seroquel, it has definitely helped, however, there are some ironic "consequences". They also added namenda to the aricept, so between those two medicines and the two psychiatric meds, she is able to have some more lucidity, but this is a double-edged sword.

Her delusions are not completely gone - she has *regular* delusions about me cheating on her (very common in dementia) and also just recently had a couple days of thinking she was pregnant - not as common, but not unheard of. At the same time, she's been very motivated to start driving again and get a job. I get it, she's stuck at home and angry/jealous that I get to go to work. I've tried SO many things to get her out of the house doing a variety of things, but it's hard - she's still insecure about the world. We've re-started home caregiver, and she's really not happy about that, but we don't have a choice.

Sorry, back to your original question - the Seroquel is "working" - but it's not a fix-all. I'm hesitant to keep increasing, as is the psychiatrist. I asked him about trying Dronibinol, an FDA approved synthetic canibinoid, that has been recently studied for off-label use with Alzheimer's and shows promise. Of course, there haven't been enough studies for him to feel comfortable trying, but I may push hard if things get worse. What the hell do we have to lose?

REPLY
Please sign in or register to post a reply.