Journal On Treatment Combinations

Life is strange, sometimes. I might be somewhat isolated, but resources «find» me. Through Internet, I met a caregiver to a person who had had early onset Alzheimer. Through our email exchanges, I was able to learn about certain drug combinations that had worked for his wife. Invaluable information.

The researcher for the caregivers' medical study also suggested I journal events such as medication prescriptions, symptoms and progression, so that a history of the progression of the disease is available, when needed. The blog will be my journal.

Initially, after the evaluation, no medication was prescribed for Mum. The accent was put on controlling her blood pressure. Her diagnosis was mixed dementia (mostly vascular dementia combined with Alzheimer). When she was admitted in hospital after the severe hypoglycemia in April last year, her blood pressure during the following week was sky high. As high as 200. She was kept in hospital until it was lowered, for a week. New medication was added to control it. Her doctor did not participate in the treatment, since he did not have practice rights in that hospital, it being in a different city.

When Mum got out of the hospital, she had a follow-up appointment with her doctor, who modified the prescription, keeping only one of the hypertension drugs. She was sent home and I had instructions to monitor the blood pressure.

After the evaluation at a geriatrics department at the university hospital, the combination of drugs was yet again changed. The hypertension medication stayed the same, since it was working well, the anticholesterol drug as well and the thyroid treatment. All in all, her medication was streamlined. No medication was given for the Alzheimer until February. She was prescribed Aricept.

Side effects were a severe runny nose and sneezing bouts. She also had difficulty breathing but since she had had the flu, it was attributed to it and not recognized as a side effect of Aricept. The runny nose was so acute that it made eating meals normally impossible. Think of using 6-7 boxes of Kleenex per week and you'll have an adequate picture. It was the druggist who hinted that it might be a side effect of Aricept.

I got back to her doctor and it was changed for the Exelon. A nose spray was prescribed and the asthma medication stopped. The runny nose is, for the most part, cured. The nose spray is now part of her daily medication.

I noticed a distinct improvement with the Exelon. Mum was still apathetic, slept a lot and her anxiety medication was changed last Thursday. She had been taking a minute dose of Xypraxa. It was changed for a minute dose of Haldol. I think the agressivity related to dementia is caused by the anxiety the patient feels. The Haldol is working miracles, I think.

Yesterday, for example, third day into the new combination of treatment, Mum volunteered to darn a nightgown I had torn near the hem. I of course accepted! I went into her room to bring her the nightgown and she had taken her sewing box out, gotten the thread and was busily trying to thread the needle. She darned it for me perfectly!

I was amazed at the initiative she had taken because for the past year she has been quite apathetic. I was amazed too at her being able to follow through to completion. That has not been happening for a long time. And I was even more amazed when she used a familiar term of endearment with me. I had not heard it for more than a year.

It was a red letter day!

My new found friend confirmed the Exelon treatment and suggested I speak with Mum's doctor about combining it with Memantine. I think I will. I guess treatment combinations are individual to each person and like anything else, it is a case of trial and error.