Evelyn, what antipsychotic

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Pam - 30 Jul 2006 12:43 GMT

Evelyn,

You mentioned, in a previous post, an antipsychotic with immediate results.

I would like to reference it if you could give me the name.

Thank You,
James

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Evelyn Ruut - 30 Jul 2006 13:02 GMT

> Evelyn,
>
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> Thank You,
> James

It's called Risperdol. It is widely prescribed for alzheimer patients who
are experiencing delusions and paranoia. It was originally used as a drug
for schizophrenics, but as many of us have seen, there are stages of
alzheimers that are similar to schizophrenic delusions. For us it was a
godsend. My mother in law was imagining all sorts of things, and at times
she was very disturbed and obsessed with those delusions. It drove us
crazy trying to deal with. Our doctor put her on two a day, one in the
morning and one in the evening. The results were dramatic, positive, and
nearly immediate.

Like any drug it has side effects, but the side effects were easier to deal
with than the delusions. She got very sleepy, and she was already starting
to be incontinent, but that got a little worse, and she needed to wear
depends in the daytime too.

Later on as she became more impaired from the illness itself, we cut out the
morning pill, and only gave the PM pill. It allowed her to be a bit more
alert during the day.

I can tell you honestly, I have no idea what we would have done without it.
She calmed down and was more happy and relaxed. Delusions are really
horrible to deal with, as Dana is discovering.

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Best Regards,

Evelyn
(to reply to me personally, remove 'sox')

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jrhx@bellsouth.net - 30 Jul 2006 13:12 GMT

That is the med that he is on now. I posted in: Dad has lost it

i thought that you may be referring to another med.
thank you for responding.

James

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Evelyn Ruut - 30 Jul 2006 14:24 GMT

> That is the med that he is on now. I posted in: Dad has lost it
>
> i thought that you may be referring to another med.
> thank you for responding.
>
> James

James, it isn't the only one, and remember that there are differences in
dosages too. I might add that my mother in law was also on a hundred
milligrams of Zoloft at the same time. That's a lot. But she was
suicidally depressed before.

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Best Regards,

Evelyn
(to reply to me personally, remove 'sox')

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Mary_Gordon@tvo.org - 30 Jul 2006 16:49 GMT

Evelyn made a good point - there are various drugs, and you may have to
try different ones, fiddle with doses and combinations etc. When it
comes to psychiatric issues, there is no one size fits all in meds.
Different people react so differently to various meds.

Just to give you a for instance, last year I was in a personal spin
related to anxiety and depression triggered by a 3 1/2 long month
strike at my workplace - I'm the principal breadwinner for my family of
five. The doctor tried me on effexor which is supposed to pull just
about anyone back from the brink - it has the reputation of being the
antidepressant they use when all stops have to be pulled out. It
actually made me WORSE - much more wired up, sleepless, anxious (which
is what I went to the doctor for in the first place). Never having been
through anything like that before, it took several months to realize it
not only wasn't helping, but was actually doing the opposite of what it
was intended to do. I didn't know how I was supposed to feel, I knew
that sometimes it took a while to kick in. I kept thinking well, I'd be
that much worse without it, or maybe I just have to wait to see what
some changed dose would do. Finally, they changed meds to zoloft, and
poof, within a few weeks, total night and day change in how I felt.

So, if your loved one isn't quite reacting as hoped to a particular
medication, make sure the doctor knows, and make sure you try different
doses, different meds and often - different combinations of
medications before the towel is thrown in. It must be extremely
difficult for doctors when the patient can't really related how they
feel - when all you can gage things by is external behaviour.

M.

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Evelyn Ruut - 30 Jul 2006 17:31 GMT

> Evelyn made a good point - there are various drugs, and you may have to
> try different ones, fiddle with doses and combinations etc. When it
[quoted text clipped - 25 lines]
>
> M.

Yes, exactly! And dosage has a lot to do with it too. My mother in law
was on Zoloft too, but it took higher dosages to get her out of the bleak
and unhappy and nearly suicidal state of mind. Once the meds were right,
she was a happier human being in spite of the alzheimers disease.

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Best Regards,

Evelyn
(to reply to me personally, remove 'sox')

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Chuck Whealton - 30 Jul 2006 21:19 GMT

> > Evelyn made a good point - there are various drugs, and you may have to
> > try different ones, fiddle with doses and combinations etc. When it
[quoted text clipped - 37 lines]
> Evelyn
> (to reply to me personally, remove 'sox')

My own Mother's dementia was thought to have been brought on by
mini-strokes. However, she was a perfect example of how it can really
pay to let the Doctor know if you don't feel that a particular drug is
working, or is making things worse. It was Xyprexa that was the
biggest help to her.

I have since read that there are other issues with Xyprexa and exactly
what they are escapes my mind. But I will say that it pays to let it
be known if you feel a certain type of drug isn't working.

Charles R. Whealton
Charles Whealton @ pleasedontspam.com

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Lesanne - 01 Aug 2006 21:50 GMT

James my Mom is doing well on Abilify

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Lesanne

> That is the med that he is on now. I posted in: Dad has lost it
>
> i thought that you may be referring to another med.
> thank you for responding.
>
> James

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Dana Carpender - 30 Jul 2006 18:43 GMT

>>Evelyn,
>>
[quoted text clipped - 28 lines]
> She calmed down and was more happy and relaxed. Delusions are really
> horrible to deal with, as Dana is discovering.

This is *extremely* useful information. Thank you so much! I have just
called my brother and let him know about Risperdol. As soon as Mom has
a primary care physician in CA (assuming she stays there,) we'll ask
about it.

Thanks again.

Dana

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Evelyn Ruut - 30 Jul 2006 19:17 GMT

>>>Evelyn,
>>>
[quoted text clipped - 37 lines]
>
> Dana

Dana I wouldn't even wait that long. You should go for it now.

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Best Regards,

Evelyn
(to reply to me personally, remove 'sox')

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Dana Carpender - 30 Jul 2006 20:52 GMT

>>>>Evelyn,
>>>>
[quoted text clipped - 39 lines]
>
> Dana I wouldn't even wait that long. You should go for it now.

I can't do a thing; Mom's in CA and I'm in Indiana. And there's no doc
there. I did call my brother and tell himn everything you said. I'm
sure that if Mom doesn't end up staying in CA, he'll talk to her
physician in Illinois about it as soon as they're back.

Dana

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