People with sickness|Alzheimer’s disease might take medicines to treat the disease itself, mood or behavior changes, and different medical conditions.Caregivers will make sure that medicines area unit taken safely and properly. Here area unit some tips to assist you manage medications for somebody with Alzheimer’s disease.
Learn the Basics
Know every medication (prescription and over-the-counter) the person with Alzheimer’s disease takes.
Ask the doctor or pharmacist:
Why is this medicine being used?
What positive effects ought to I explore for, and when?
How long will the person need to take it?
How much ought to he or she take every day?
When will the person got to take the medicine?
What if the person misses a dose?
What are the side effects, and what can I do about them?
Can this medication cause issues if soft on different medicines?
Managing medications is easier if you have a complete list of them.
The list ought to show the name of the drugs, the doctor who prescribed it, how much the person with Alzheimer’s takes, and how often. Visit Tracking Your Medications: Worksheet for a template. Keep the list in a safe place at home, and make a copy to keep in your purse or wallet.Bring it with you after you visit the person’s doctor or health care provider.
People with Alzheimer’s should be monitored when they start taking a new drug.Follow the doctor’s directions and report any uncommon symptoms promptly.Also, let the doctor understand before adding or ever-changing any medications.
Use Medicines Safely
People with Alzheimer’s disease usually would like facilitate taking their medication.If the person lives alone, you may need to call and remind them or leave notes around the home.
A pillbox allows you to put pills for each day in one place.
Some pillboxes associate with alarms that prompt someone to require the drugs.
As Alzheimer’s gets worse, you’ll got to keep track of the person’s medicines.You also will need to make sure the person takes the medicines or give the medicines to him or her.
Some folks with Alzheimer’s take medicines to treat behavior issues like restlessness, anxiety, depression, trouble sleeping, and aggression.
Experts agree that medications to treat behavior issues ought to be used solely once different ways that do not use medicine are tried.
Talk with the person’s doctor regarding that medicines area unit safest and handiest.With these types of medicines, it is important to:
Use the lowest dose possible
Watch for aspect effects like confusion and falls
Allow the drugs some weeks to require impact
People with Alzheimer’s should NOT take anticholinergic drugs.
These medication area unit wont to treat several medical issues like sleeping issues, stomach cramps, incontinence, asthma, motion sickness, and muscle spasms.
Side effects, like confusion, may be serious for someone with Alzheimer’s.
These medication mustn’t run to someone with Alzheimer’s disease.
You might speak with the person’s doctor regarding different choices.
Examples of these drugs include:
Atrovent® (ipratropium)
Dramamine® (dimenhydrinate)
Diphenhydramine—includes brand names such as Benadryl® and Nytol®
Some people, especially those with last stage Alzheimer’s, may have trouble swallowing pills.
In this case, ask the doctor if the medicine can be crushed or taken in liquid form.
Other ways that to create positive medicines area unit taken safely:
Keep all medications locked up.
Check that the label on every prescription bottle has the drug name and dose, patient’s name, dosage frequency, and expiration date.
Call the doctor or pharmacist if you have questions about any medicine.
Medicines to Treat Alzheimer’s Disease
There area unit 5 medicines offered to treat Alzheimer’s disease.
It’s important to know that none of those medicines will cure or stop the sickness.
What they’ll do, for some people, is help slow down certain problems, such as memory loss.
Slowing down state of mind will permit many of us with Alzheimer’s disease to be more well-off and freelance for a extended time.
Medicines to Treat Other Medical Conditions
Many people with Alzheimer’s disease even have different medical conditions like polygenic disorder, high pressure, or heart condition.
They may take different medicines for these conditions. It’s important to track all the medicines they take and take the list with you to every visit to a doctor.
