My Mom is 84 years old and has dementia. She is taking aricept and her Drs. just put her on respitol, she is not nervous or bi polar. She has gone to the Clevland Clinic and to another Drs. and they all say thats whats best for her.
I have been reading up on this drug and it dosen't sound like she should be on it. Sure could use some feedback on this drug.
Thank you so much,
Snowman5:confused:

Welcome!! I am new here as well. My mom was just diagnosed with Alzheimer's and we are waiting for a 2nd opinion, just to get a more in depth feel for where she is at, and to ask about the Aricept meds she is taking.
A coworker has a mom who has Dementia and she was just given Aricept as well. This is all the help I can be, and that I have read here it seems best to keep them on the meds or they can get worse quickly...I was surprised even my mom knew that! :angel:

If you do a search for Dementia or Aricept here, you might find the info you are looking for. I know I did!

Welcome to the board Snowman... sorry that you need to be here asking questions about this horrible disease but you have come to the right place. There are some wonderful people here with experience and knowledge that has surely helped me. Aricept is one of the few medications that are approved for dementia and though they are not a cure they are believed to slow down the progression of the disease. Both Mom and Dad are on Aricept as well as Namenda and don't seem to have any adverse side effects.

If I am not mistaken Respitol is used for behavioral modification. I have not had experience with this specific drug but Mom and Dad have both been on various antidepressants, antipsychotics, and antianxiety medications. It is very confusing to a dementia patient when they don't know where they are, what's happening, how they got there, and why people around them are doing what they are doing. Couple that with an inability to process information and an inability to respond properly and you have the makings of major behavioral problems. There is not a lot of research dealing with behavior modification drugs and dementia so it's trial and error to find the one that works with your Mom.

Pay attention to her behavior changes including aggitation, outburst, sleeping too much and report any of these or any other behaviors out of the ordinary to her doctor. These will help the doctor find the right behavioral modification meds for her.

Again, I am sorry your Mom has this disease. I hope you will keep reading and posting. There is much information to gain here. I will keep you both in my thoughts and prayers.

Love, deb

Snow

My Dad had AD for several years before he passed away. He took Aricept for several years and it helped him. His mind was clearer and he was calmer when he took it. I never noticed him having any side effects from it. My prayers are with you and your Mom:angel:

Hugs Nadine

Hi. My father in law has Alzheimers and was on both Aricept and rispardol at one stage. First of all a lot depends on the mini mental test given for Alzheimers. If the score is lower than a 10 or 11 these meds will not help in the least. Rispardol in particular can have harsh side effects but everyone reacts differently. If the patient has a heart condition it is risky to take risperdol. In additon It can immoblise the sufferer, making it harder to get up and walk around and it can cause them to fall due to dizzy spells. In some cases they forget HOW to walk altogether. In my father in laws case we think it may have caused seizures. He had to go off the risperdol. Having said all that, there are people out there that have been helped by this drug. Keep a close eye on the side effects. If the confusion increases suddenly. if the ability to walk worsens drastically or if there are falls due to dizzy spells, then stop the medication and talk to your doctor. Doctors have found that anti hallucinagens like rispardol are useful for Alzheimer sufferers. It reduces their distress and confusion by lessening hallucinations, supposedly calming them down and allowing them to sleep. It did not work in our case. Don't worry too much. The side effects disappeared as soon as we discontinued the medication. I suggest you read books and research on the internet. the more you know about what is going on the less stressful it will be. My prayers and best wishes go to you and your family.
Love Rosa