Does anyone have experience with Seroquel for dementia and Alzheimer?
My husband has dementia/Alzheimers and has been getting worse since putting him into respite. He is suspicious, very confused about most everything. I've been doing a trial at an AL and he says terrible things when I pick him up. Said it was a prison and there are killers in there. Said there were bodies buried in the yard!
Since only going there two times, he now doesn't want to take his medications which is only something for heartburn and a .50 Alprazalam (Xanax). Today he refused even his vitamins and said I was in cahoots with the killers and he's never not trusted me.
Then he left the house and I thought he was in the bathroom. I drove all over trying to find him but was then called by another AL in the area and I went and picked him up. They found him wandering around in their yard. It was about half mile away...he walked that far! After that he was fine and took his meds.
Now the doctor has increased his Xanax but said the next step is to put him on Seroquel for the paranoid, restless and agitated behaviors. Are there side effects that might make him worse? I hate to get into new medications because you never know what to expect.
I'm trying to get him into the AL and they won't take him anymore unless he is on something for the restlessness because he's too disruptive and even miserable himself.
Hope some of you have had experience with this class of meds and have some good reports.
Thanks, Carol
I hate using a drug which comes with an fda back label warning and puts her at risk for yet another fall but her anxiety and paranoia were apt to give her a heart attack anyway
She has been on it for 60 days and it has taken some of the edge off but she is still scared to be alone and was crying when I got to her room tonight - she is a bit calmer and her sense of humor comes through more again but as I understand it the dosage typical has to be increased and I doubt I will agree to that
It does put her to sleep so be prepared for him to fall asleep in his soup if not given at the right time
As I witness each time I visit my mom now, a lot of memory care residents are on meds but based on my reading drugs like Xanax are short lived and typically are a last resort for dementia -
A neurologist or a psychiatrist not a GP should be prescribing and monitoring - good luck
Other people in my caregiver support group found it made no difference for their loved ones. Still others had to stop because of side effects. (When they discontinued the drug the side effects stopped -- no lasting damage.)
In my husband's case, we had about a 20 minute window to get him into bed after he took it. I only gave it when he was ready for bed! Other caregivers reported that they could give low doses in the daytime. That didn't work for us, but the once-a-day at night was enough to see him through the next day.
Seroquel is typically started at a very low dose. My husband started at 25 mg and gradually increased to 100 mg (which is still a low dose) and remained at that level for nearly 9 years.
My personal (NOT expert) advice is to try it with your husband, starting at a very low dose. If he tolerates the initial low dose, follow the doctor's advice for increasing it to a therapeutic level. If it makes him groggy/drunk-like, give it only right before bed. If there are other bad side effects tell the doctor. If it doesn't seem to help at all, tell the doctor.
Individual reactions vary widely. The only way to know if it will work for someone is to try it.
I have read many things about Seroquel and most of them were positive. There are risks, but I would discuss them with his doctors. When the patient is having a very difficult time, you have to weigh the benefits. I've never known of anyone taking it except a little at bedtime.
I understand from all your comments that as usual, everyone is different. Now I'm wondering if he should have the Seroquel here at home before he is admitted into the AL or just wait till he's there to try it? Not sure what the new doc will want me to do.
I too have noticed that some people are medicated to the point of practically being vegetables. I certainly don't want that for my husband. But he's also losing his fun and friendly side because he's so paranoid about people. He seems to be in fear and so worried about killers, robbers and all sorts of scary stuff that he thinks is going on around us. So maybe the medication is the lesser of two evils.
Alzheimers is such a horrible disease...it's just wrecked our lives.
Thanks again for your thoughtful and informative answers. It will help me consider my options and also what to look for when he most likely will go on Seroquel.