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Aggression is the norm. An anti-depressant lessens the bouts, but wears off quickly. My best friend in Texas said with her Alzheimer Father anti-depressants didn't help but anti-anxiety meds did & recommended I look into .25 mg aprazolam (stronger) or lorazet .5 mg (milder)

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Mom doesn't get aggressive, but she wasn't sleeping much; for me, her care giver, this was a nonstarter. I've got to get uninterrupted sleep. What works for her is a sleeping pill combined with a pain medication: Zolpidem, 5mg and half a hydrocodon-acetaminophen 5-325. One works on helping her sleep; the other on any discomfort she may have that she doesn't acknowledge.

Talk to the doctor. There are pharma ways to handle this problem.
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It's not that anti-depressant is wearing off quickly. Most antidepressant medications have a really long "half-life"--the amount of time that it takes the body to clear half the med from the system. It's possible he's not on the correct dosage or needs more than one drug to enhance the effect. And what works for one AD patient may not work for another. Make sure that your LO is being seen for medication management by someone with long experience in this field, preferably a geriatric psychiatrist. It sometimes takes a couple of shots to get the medication properly adjusted.
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You will need to see a doctor in order to get a prescription, of course. What kind of a doctor is treating your loved one? It is best to deal with someone very familiar with dementia. It may take trying more than one drug.

Also, have a look at this list of suggestions, and see if there is anything you can try to help reduce the problem: https://www.agingcare.com/articles/Incontinence-and-Sleep-Problems-108031.htm

I know first hand how extremely detrimental to the caregiving situation night disturbances can be. If I couldn't sleep for days on end I became a zombie caring for the demented. Not at all a safe or pleasant picture. My husband's neurologist was able to come up with a pharmaceutical solution to our problem.

While you are working toward this goal, (waiting for doc appointments, trying possibly more than one drug, etc.) I urge you to make in-home care arrangements so you can get some sleep.
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