Transitions..... Medications for Behavioral Symptoms

Posted by Debby - @tavi @tavi, Oct 6, 2016

Does anyone have experience with medications commonly used to treat behavioral and psychiatric symptoms of Alzheimer's disease? Our home health nurse recommended (and Dr. prescribed) starting my husband on a very low dose of quetiapine (Seroquel) for agitation and depression. I think I understand why we are moving to the antipsychotic meds -- He is depressed as well as becoming more and more anxious, agitated and upset. He is unaware of how his behavior changes throughout the day - most alert when he first rises leading to lots of confusion/anxiety from 4 pm to 8 pm. Also, when he finally settles in bed he does not sleep more than 2 hours at a time during the night without having night sweats requiring a complete change of clothes.

Regardless of the effectiveness of the medications, I'm facing some pretty tough issues and decisions. I can try to get more in home care but I am also questioning my original plan for home care. Is staying in our home the best for my husband or would he feel more secure and stable in a memory care setting (as well as get more social interaction that may help the depression) -- I have not yet visited any facilities near our home but will be doing so in the next few weeks. I know that any transition will be hard on him - whether it is bringing more people here into our home or moving to a memory care facility ..... appreciate any and all perspectives.

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

@billchitwood

The doctor put Bill on Seroquel about a month and a half ago due to severe anger issues - it seemed to just kick in this past week and what a difference it has made so far! They also doubled his Sertraline and changed it to morning. He had been taking Sertraline since 2014 so I don't think that made the noticeable difference. I had read that it sometimes takes the Seroquel a month or so to help.

Bill's behavior before it kicked it was so bad that I really didn't think I could keep us living with our daughter. It was one thing to have him cussing me out but to listen to him go after her was heartbreaking. Now he is loving. I only pray that it lasts. He was always hard to live with unless he got everything his way. But with his dementia it is no longer safe to give him 'his way', which helped to trigger the severe anger (aided by the dementia).

So thank heavens for the doctors adjusting his medications!

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Wonderful information, thx for sharing. Glad everyone is safer, can stay at home if they wish. Pls keep us posted as time passes, how each med continues to help. Fingers crossed, for all of us going through this!

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@pattyinal

They are available on Amazon. Ours is a Joy To All golden puppy. They also have cats for cat lovers.

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Found the dogs and cats on Amazon! Going to buy the dog!! Thank you!

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