Alzheimer's Disease and Aricept - your experience with this medication?

[Samuel]

My father has moderate/severe dementia and only recently could get him to a doctor. I was hoping Aricept would help at least a little bit but its been a complete disaster for him. He took it for almost 2 weeks at which point his condition worsened so severely (weakness, sleeping 24 hrs a day, nearly total loss of cognitive thinking) my mother came to tears. She stopped the Aricept after checking with his dr and after several days has returned to his pre Aricept condition.

I've heard this drug may not help but never heard about it making someone dramatically worse. Has anyone had this experience? I was so hoping for even a slight improvement, but never expected this.
I have an md friend and when I asked him about Aricept his reply was -- it's mainly given for the benefit of the family, it may help if you take it in your fortys but...it's otherwise useless.

Your experiences with this drug?

[Samuel]

No one?







..........

[joy]

Sorry, I just haven't been at the computer as much lately.

I now believe my own mother was put on this medicine just because she was having some confusion. It was after she had a mini stroke but also after the bull was out of the china shop that I wished we'd not put her on it.

In mother's case, her doctor was smart enough to know about B12 & did a test on her that proved she had low levels. I wish we'd just done a lot of B12 and not said a work about alzehimers in HER particular case.

My own knowledge was too little too late also.

I want to also add that sleeping pills were not helpful but really destructive. Mother spoke up about them. I was always so worried that Arecipt was bad for her appetite. I should have preparing her better food instead of doing what I did do also. But then again, we both should have been healthier.


What is going on that has you asking, if I may ask. Please keep posting. We need more talk about alzheimers I think.

[Tootsie]

Hi Samuel and welcome to the Alzheimer's Forum, here at braintalk communities. I have been away and it has taken me several days to get back on the computer and catch up with the various forums where I post. This is usually the first one I check as it was the reason I originally sought information from BT communities.

I have no personal experience with Aricept as my mother had died many years before it came on the market. It was used with my BIL but there was never any noticeable improvement.

From what I have read, Aricept is an expensive drug that may improve functioning but does absolutely nothing to modify or change the course of the disease. There is much expensive advertising which to me is cruel as it raises unrealistic hopes. Your MD friend was very honest with you, and you do confess that you had hoped for at least some improvement.

You mentioned only that your father has dementia. Are you sure that it is Alzheimer's Disease? There are numerous types of dementia and some are reversible, depending on the cause. I do hope that your father has had a good, comprehensive evaluation by a board certified internist to rule out any of the numerous reversible causes of dementia. That would be anemia, hypothyroidism, drug interactions of either over the counter or prescription drugs, herbal supplements, and transient ischemic attacks known as TIA's.

Internists also do some screening tests like asking a patient to perform a three step task....something as simple as "take this sheet of paper in your right hand, fold it in half and place it under your chair." An A.D. patient cannot do this. As I said, this is a screening tool, not a diagnostic one. An internist might also refer you to a psychologist or a neurologist for further testing.

Others will be along in a while to add their comments. However, it is imperative that you begin to plan with your mother, how your dad will be cared for as the disease progresses.

There needs to be a legal Power of Attorney for his finances so they are available to purchase any care or supportive services that will be needed. There also needs to be a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care that gives another person legal permission to make health care decisions for your dad. Every state has their own requirement for this but in California it is the DPAHC. There are forms that your doctor or stationery store can provide. A Do Not Resuscitate Order is not enough! That only deals with what will be done if he suffers a cardiac arrest. Medical personnel need to be protected from law suits when families decide that they do not want their loved ones kept alive by machines and invasive medical procedure.

When my mother fell and broke her hip, the orthopedic surgeon was given all kinds of grief by other doctors when he removed the access line used for a CPR procedure if her heart stopped. I had to reassure him that I did have a legal document that she had signed saying she did not want that done again.
She had survived one such episode years before and in my opinion that was the marker event for her decline into A.D.

Let us hear from you, and we may have other suggestions. Cheerio.

[sleepy]

My mom was on aricept for about 10 days. It was not a good experience. It really knocked her out. She was so tired-we had to wake her up to eat. These symptoms disappeared when we took her off. Judy

[joy]

I am glad she is doing better & eating. It is said to cause some to not have an appetite. You do have to watch the pills for your loved ones as you know them best.

[Jo6]

Welcome Samuel:)
I'm sorry about your father. Alzheimer's Disease or Dementia is not easy to deal with. The Neuro that dex'ed MIL put her on it . He also took her off of it after about 6 weeks if I remember correctly. I couldn't say it made her better or worse. The progression of the disease is confusing to say the least.

MIL was just getting worse, the Aricept wasn't doing anything to help her get better. The Dr. said she would only get worse and unless we wanted to continue he would keep her on it, but it was like throwing good money after bad. ((something like that)) Ken trusted the DR, he said to stop.

We saw no change, before or after, just the disease getting worse. I see people arguing about Dementia and Alzheimer's, the difference of the 2, how one was worse to have than the other. Either one is heartbreaking. I call it a family disease, it involve's the whole family. Some more than others, but putting your head in the sand trying to make it go away is no good for patient or family.

I agree the Aricept is given mostly to help the family feel that Dr. was doing something to help our loved one.

I'm sorry to get off on such a tangent. Can you tell I'm very angry at in-laws?
Well, I stay angry at them. I thought my siblings were bad, but I don't even know what to call them!!


The "STEPS" people talk about is all crap. MIL has been thru so many "stages" I couln't count them. You think they are doing better, they will for a short time, but then slide right back down .

Samuel, if your father shows some improvement, grab hold of it and enjoy your time with him. The is no rhyum nor reason as to when and how things will go tomorrow. Do what you can for your mom, she will need much support. Most of us do need support no mater who we are caring for.

I haven't been able to get at the computer very often lately. You can post your thoughts and worries and someone will answer you sooner or later.

You take care of yourself, Mom and what you can do for dad. You have your hands slap full.

take care, Jo

[Samuel]

My mom was on aricept for about 10 days. It was not a good experience. It really knocked her out. She was so tired-we had to wake her up to eat. These symptoms disappeared when we took her off. Judy
Thanks for that Judy, I least now I know I'm not the only one who has seen this problem. (excessive sleepiness etc.)
It's unfortunate since this is apparently the only drug designed to treat moderate severe Alzheimer's.
They should list this as one of the side effects.

[jstkathy5]

I am 55 y/o and have had good success with Aricept. After my dose was titrated up on the second month I noticed an improvement in my coginitive skills. I have been fortunate enough not to have experienced any of the side effects you have described here.

I hope it lasts.

[joy]

jstkathy5 i am glad it is helping you. I think it helped my mother to some extent. It was more just her being low of B12 and some mini-strokes in the long run I think. Looking back, I wish we had never mentioned so much to her but it is impossible to know what to do when something happens that you know is unusual. I think doctors rush to do something like I saw someone remark once already.

I wish you would join us in the Forum for Emotional thread kathy. there are lots of people around and we'd love to have you join in with us as well. Just jump into one or start your own thread ;). Glad to hear you are doing okay on the med. That may be the only reassuring thing some people may see about Arciept.

[michael178]

I have dementia due to a leukodystrophy and was prescribed aricept because of the dementia I experienced.
Aricept put me in the emergency room with a headache that I thought would never stop. Another similiar med did the same thing... severe headache.

But like many here, the meds are often worse than the disease

[JanM]

It caused an unset stomach in my hubby