If you recall, earlier, I wrote about trying to take Mom off Lorazepam 2-3 years ago, because it seemed as though this was the culprit of her "imaginings". Part of the purpose of this blog entry is to help determine what drugs she's on, what drugs are out there to help, and to figure out if she could be on a better "cocktail".
Aside from the medications I'm listing below, Mom is also taking supplements for her eyes, trying to ward off Macular Degeneration. Aside from her telling me she's ready for the next operation on her eyes, I believe those are doing their job! And they're a little less expensive.
The following is a list of the medications for Mom, and their effects, as well as side effects, with possible editorials inserted as to how they seem to be working:
Donepezil for Cognition - This is another name for Aricept, a medication given routinely to those who suffer from AD. Mom's doctor in Port Angeles explained to me that this may not have the intended effects on her, and through my research on LBD I have discovered it works for a short time, but is not a panacea.
The side effects are nausea, vomiting, incontinence, fainting, hallucinations (yes, this may sound ironic for Mom, but it does seem to be having the desired effect on her with few hallucinations), among others.
Hydroco/Apap 5-325 for Pain - This is given for the pain Mom has been experiencing in her arms, shoulders, and side. Of course, through my reading, I'm discovering this is a common malaise for those with LBD as the affliction begins to stiffen the muscles from the shoulders down. Mom takes this to ease the pain, and this, with the help of the deep tissue massage every week, helps her mobility and ease of movement she would be without due to the pain. However, there is a caution that there is a tolerance buildup that might occur.
The side effects are: nausea, light-headedness, fainting, vomiting, confusion, lethargy, drowsiness, mental cloudiness, anxiety (oh, yay! isn't that what a couple of her other drugs are for?), fear, dysphoria, and others. This may explain her lack of energy - yet this was present long before she began taking this medication, so it may have had little or no effect on her, aside from the pain management.
Lisinopril for Blood Pressure - This is a drug given to those who have had a heart attack, or suffer from high blood pressure. I know the center takes Mom's blood pressure on a regular basis, and they don't hand this out unless there is an irregularity with her pressure - which gives me comfort.
Side effects for this drug are: cough, dizziness, headache, weakness, diarrhea, nausea, runny nose, and others.
Is it me, or do most of these drugs seem to cause nausea, dizziness (light headedness), and other effects in common? It's amazing she hasn't suffered from many of these!
Quetiapine for Anxiety/Agitation - This is what they call a Black Box Drug!
An example of a Black Box Drug Warning : The FDA requires a black box warning on all antidepressants because of an increased risk of suicidal thinking and behavior in young adults ages 18 to 24 during initial treatment - generally the first one to two months of therapy.
Lorazepam for Anxiety - This is the drug I called into question a few years ago. It reduces anxiety by slowing brain activity to provide relaxation.
At first blush, I'm still not sold on this drug, but since Mom has been on it (there was a time she was on St. John's Wort, and she didn't like it as it didn't have the desired effect or feel she wanted) and with the combinations of the other drugs it seems to be working.
Side effects for this drug are: drowsiness, dizziness, dry mouth, weakness, tiredness, changes in appetite, etc.
I suppose I should trust the doctors, as they keep following the same prescriptions as the placement before them. But I'm still on the lookout! I do know drugs like Haderol would do awful damage for her condition, while helping those with AD. I've read some stories where the doctors prescribed this and many of the patients were not able to recover from the effects of the drug. So, I'm aware we're not going down that road!
There is also the chance of using Levodopa, which is prescribed for Parkinson's and helps with the movement.
As time progresses, so will the treatments and the drugs. It's odd knowing that in the future there will be more available treatments for LBD, but for now we need to accept what is there; it's nearly as if we are in the 19th century looking ahead to when medicine will be able to help and cure such malaises. <sigh>
Aside from the medications I'm listing below, Mom is also taking supplements for her eyes, trying to ward off Macular Degeneration. Aside from her telling me she's ready for the next operation on her eyes, I believe those are doing their job! And they're a little less expensive.
Donepezil for Cognition - This is another name for Aricept, a medication given routinely to those who suffer from AD. Mom's doctor in Port Angeles explained to me that this may not have the intended effects on her, and through my research on LBD I have discovered it works for a short time, but is not a panacea.
The side effects are nausea, vomiting, incontinence, fainting, hallucinations (yes, this may sound ironic for Mom, but it does seem to be having the desired effect on her with few hallucinations), among others.
Hydroco/Apap 5-325 for Pain - This is given for the pain Mom has been experiencing in her arms, shoulders, and side. Of course, through my reading, I'm discovering this is a common malaise for those with LBD as the affliction begins to stiffen the muscles from the shoulders down. Mom takes this to ease the pain, and this, with the help of the deep tissue massage every week, helps her mobility and ease of movement she would be without due to the pain. However, there is a caution that there is a tolerance buildup that might occur.
The side effects are: nausea, light-headedness, fainting, vomiting, confusion, lethargy, drowsiness, mental cloudiness, anxiety (oh, yay! isn't that what a couple of her other drugs are for?), fear, dysphoria, and others. This may explain her lack of energy - yet this was present long before she began taking this medication, so it may have had little or no effect on her, aside from the pain management.
Lisinopril for Blood Pressure - This is a drug given to those who have had a heart attack, or suffer from high blood pressure. I know the center takes Mom's blood pressure on a regular basis, and they don't hand this out unless there is an irregularity with her pressure - which gives me comfort.
Side effects for this drug are: cough, dizziness, headache, weakness, diarrhea, nausea, runny nose, and others.
Is it me, or do most of these drugs seem to cause nausea, dizziness (light headedness), and other effects in common? It's amazing she hasn't suffered from many of these!
Quetiapine for Anxiety/Agitation - This is what they call a Black Box Drug!
An example of a Black Box Drug Warning : The FDA requires a black box warning on all antidepressants because of an increased risk of suicidal thinking and behavior in young adults ages 18 to 24 during initial treatment - generally the first one to two months of therapy.
This is prescribed to help Mom with her depression, but also with her hallucinations. Reading up on this it states that it is not to be used on patients with dementia, but it has actually helped Mom a great deal. She takes it in very small doses during the day, and it has decreased the number of hallucinatory episodes, made her a happier person, and overall seems to be working wonders.
The side effects for this drug are: Suicidal Tendencies (for the first two months - we're well over that), dizziness (again!), pains in the joints as well as neck and back, indigestion, excessive weight gain, among others.
This was a drug I had to really think about before giving consent to the hospital when Mom was first admitted. They wanted to test it out to see if there was a difference in Mom's moods or behavior with a very small dosage. We had all the warnings. At that point, though, we (my brother Tom and I) decided it was worth a go. Actually, I'm glad we did, as it seems to have swung her mood from angry and confused to a more genteel mode.
Also, in doing more digging, I've noted that it is listed (not by name but by drug type) as a treatment by the Lewy Body Dementia Organization, which eases my mind. Perhaps as LBD research grows and matures this will help others in the future (using it with patients like Mom).
At first blush, I'm still not sold on this drug, but since Mom has been on it (there was a time she was on St. John's Wort, and she didn't like it as it didn't have the desired effect or feel she wanted) and with the combinations of the other drugs it seems to be working.
Side effects for this drug are: drowsiness, dizziness, dry mouth, weakness, tiredness, changes in appetite, etc.
I suppose I should trust the doctors, as they keep following the same prescriptions as the placement before them. But I'm still on the lookout! I do know drugs like Haderol would do awful damage for her condition, while helping those with AD. I've read some stories where the doctors prescribed this and many of the patients were not able to recover from the effects of the drug. So, I'm aware we're not going down that road!
There is also the chance of using Levodopa, which is prescribed for Parkinson's and helps with the movement.
As time progresses, so will the treatments and the drugs. It's odd knowing that in the future there will be more available treatments for LBD, but for now we need to accept what is there; it's nearly as if we are in the 19th century looking ahead to when medicine will be able to help and cure such malaises. <sigh>
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