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I've read of the possible benefits of ALA (Alpha Lipoic acid) and Acetyl -L-Carnitine supplements taken together. In one case favorable results were evident within two weeks. People are so different that it's most unlikely that one approach will work for all, but anything that may help and not be detrimental may be worth trying.

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Dirk~Have you questioned a neurologist or a physician about this? As you did state-people are different, and what may work for someone may not for another. I have found a host of information by attending support group meetings that are offered-like thru the Alzheimer's Association. They even have a toll free number to call 24/7 and that is 1-800-272-3900. There are also many sites online that offer information on this subject, and may be worth checking into. I have found that knowledge is power, and will get you through the caregiving journey.

Hap~
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Has anyone tried the Aricept or Numenda? Aricept gave dad horrible restless leg, and he gave up on the numenda after the samples. I explained to him he won't get anything back (right??) it is jus to try an prolong dementia or alzheimers. Now he is interested in the excelon patch (which I haven't even researched yet) He thinks Numenda is too expensive..I then heard that that therapy is short term..do the supplemnts affect medication, like coumadin? I am a newbie, bear with me :)
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namenda is expesvive . excelon patch almost killed my dad , he lost 30 lbs in one month and it was botherin me everytime i put the patch on him . i decided to take him off of it , he felt better !
namenda cost dad 300 a month . i thought it helped him cuz he wasnt so demanding too much , it calmed him and did nt argue too much .
it cost too much that i had to stop buying it . ins wont pay a dime for it but would pay for excelon patch , strange ,
he is not on any of those memory pills anymore . he still has his mind . he s 86 yrs old and dementia is getting worst . he takes way too many pills everyday . stroke is what set offthose dementia .
i wish u the best luck in finding out whats best for ur dad .
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wow thanks. We are first trying bilevel breathing machine, for two more weeks, he hates it..doc is wondering about complex apnea..more research there. I think he has dementia, but it may be early alzheimers..this is all so new to me. t really bothers Dad (and Mom) when Dad forgets, or goes down the wrong street or can't remember my name. I tell him not to be so hard on himself, but I see a decline. I think I need to get
some kind of authority to go to the doc with them, I got one form at one doc, I think they are too old or something for the five wishes. I work at the funeral home, so that doesn't help :(
thanks for answering, and Merry Christmas
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When I was taking care of my mom, she realized that she was losing her memory, was tired and fatigued all the time, and her back hurt all the time from osteoporsis fractures, and her face hurt all the time from trigeminal neuralgia. She tried a lot of different vitamins and supplements, as the prescriptions meds were not totally taking away her pain and fatigue and the neuralgia was getting worse. Wasted a lot of money on vitamins and supplements that did not work. Sometimes if she saw something on TV or in a magazine or newspaper she would fall for it. After wasting a lot of money, I told mom no more ordering these things until I check them out on the internet and make sure they are not a scam, turns out a lot of them were scams. Now I am struggling to pay back all of these things she charged on the charge cards, as she is in the nursing home now. Best advice I can give you is check it out with a doctor before ordering vitamins and supplements, and make sure they are not scams by looking on the internet.
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Both my dad, aunt, and uncle, all siblings were put on the exelon patch a few months ago. They are all in the same nursing home and under the care of the same doctor. I can see quite a change in my aunt, but no big changes in my dad or uncle. It's good to reevalute meds, and also find out how long it takes to see improvement. I believe with exelon, you have to build up to a therapeutic dosage before evaluating if it is working or not.
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Two weeks ago my wife started taking 50 mg of Sertraline HCL once per day after dinner. It has helped reduce her anxiety and frustration -- so far without problem side effects.
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Responding to: Have you questioned a neurologist or a physician about this?

I questioned a neurologist about supplements but professionals only seem to know about drugs that reduce the problems associated with the symptoms of dementia. The difficulty with supplements is that there is little financial incentive to scientifically evaluate people's experimental findings. The Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) I mentioned is simply an antioxidant that has been helpful for some people with Type 2 diabetes because it reduces insulin resistance. Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALCAR) is also an antioxidant and is claimed to help the mind focus. Why the combination of ALA and ALCAR was helpful for at least two people with dementia is a matter of conjecture. The same can be said for coconut oil which is claimed to feed the brain with ketones. I've only heard of that helping one person, but there is a prescription product that includes a substantial amount of cocnut oil -- sorry I don't remember the name. Sniffing insulin to get insulin into the brain via the olfactory pathway is mentioned in "The Alzheimer's Project" book. This has a better chance of scientific evaluation because it could lead to greater use of insulin -- a big financial incentive. If I had dementia I would do some of this supplement testing, but for now I just do the reading.
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My father (81 years old was put in a locked Alzheimer unit 2 weeks ago) He was on Aracept for 2 years. After a year and half he started to go down hill quickly. Excelon was started 2 months ago with mild results (if any). Was put in a home 2 weeks ago in the middle stages. Because of his strength and mobility they put him in a locked unit. He was put on Risperidone which has helped his cognition although currently the dose is too high. He is very tired all the time it seems. The dose has been reduced but the higher dose is not out of his system yet (it's only been a couple of days). It will be interesting to see the level of cognition when the lower dose begins to work and he is not so sleepy. The Doctor in the care facility is monitoring him closely. I will update this when we start to see results from the lower dose. Needless to say this worked for 1 Alzheimer patient. They are all different individuals.
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One I would try is Vitamin D3 and Curcumin together. I would also try Quercetin and Ginko Biloba along withe the D and Curcumin. Vinpocetin has been used in Germay for stroke victims.

A form of vitamin D3 together with curcumin, a chemical found in the spice turmeric, may stimulate the body's immune system to clear amyloid beta from the brain. Amyloid beta are waxy deposits that result from the degeneration of tissue and form plaques that are a distinguishing characteristic of Alzheimer's disease.

Scientists from UCLA and UC Riverside and the Human BioMolecular Research Institute took blood samples from nine Alzheimer's patients, and also from a patient with mild cognitive impairment and three healthy subjects. They isolated the monocyte cells, which change into macrophages that neutralize waste products in the brain and body, including amyloid beta. The researchers took the monocyte cells and incubated them with amyloid beta, vitamin D3, and either natural or synthetic curcumin.
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Good nutrition is important as well as supplements - watch the vitamin K levels if they are on coag therapy (coumadin). You might also watch the time of day that they take supplements - biorythms and natural sunlight help alot. Let them sleep until they want to wake up & consider only TV shows that engage - rather than the passive types of entertainment. Also exercise, like Sit n Be Fit or modified TaiChi work. Anything that involves and engages - just like us
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Dirk:

"Believe nothing,
no matter where you read it
or who has said it,
not even if I have said it,
unless it agrees with
your own reason and
your own common sense." -- Buddha


Before implementing anything, make sure you're able to live with the decisions made. Enjoy the rest of the Holidays.

-- ED
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To lhardebeck, Have you check with the different drug programs to see if there is help with the cost of Namenda for your father. Some of these programs are not based on income. On of the them called RX Outreach. You can get some meds on their list for as little as $20 for a 30 day supply or $45-$60 fpr a 180 day supply. Also if you will check with the manufacturer of Namenda on their website, they sometimes have programs to help pay for their drugs. Hope this helps.
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My mom has been on Aricept and Namenda for quite some time. She shows no negative side effects and I truly believe it has slowed the progression of her Alzheimer's.
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What type of drug is Namenda? Is it for alzheimers/dementia?
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Yes it is. It's my understanding that it's works very well taken in combination with Aricept. You can learn more at the following site:

http://www.namenda.com/sections/30/namenda-difference.shtml
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Has any of your loved ones gotten restless leg syndrome from Aricept? My Dad does, but Numenda didn't..but too expensive for him. I imagine the Excelon patch is pricey too??
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It makes me sad when medications are too expensive for people that need them. We, as a society, need to treat our elderly much better.
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As I have previously written, there are many programs to help with the cost of meds. Some are not based strictly on financial need. Needy Meds. com, and Rx Outreach come to mind right now. You can also go into the website of the manufacturer, Pfizer, etc, and you can find assistance programs for their meds. I have known cases where people were not taking their needed meds because they couldnt afford them and I have assisted them in getting meds through these programs. They work so if anyone here is having a problem with affording meds, please check out these sites.
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Imw- have you tried or asked a doc about the proceedure for fractures due to oseopories where they inject cement into the back I had it done and it took away the horrible pain after 2 weeks but left me with more disability in my activities of daily living but others who have had it done have done better and have a good quality of life since having it done and I can manage with rest periods added into my day and am very active.
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good evening and Happy New Year, I wish this for each of you reading this. My Name is Eleanor, my husband has alzheimer's. We have known this for almost a year. He takes these two drug that were perscribed by his nurolgest. They are GALANTAMINE ER 16MG ONE IN THE MORNING, NAMENDA 10 mg one in the morning and one in the evening. He is very pleased that my husband is not declineing, but staying good for now. He goes every 6 months to see him and I take all the homework sheets my husband has worked on and also a report from me on how he is doing and any change in his way of doing things or behavior.
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