My mother was diagnosed with sever dementia. She began taking aricept 4 days ago. Since then her behavior has changed. The first night she became tired, the second night she became very agitated and paranoid, the 2nd morning, I found her sitting at the edge of her bed, her hands clasped on her lap head down and telling me she was alone, that everyone had left her. She started crying saying she wanted to die. I assured her she was not alone that myself and her grandson was here with her. It seemed to take me talking to her for over an hour for her to snap out of it. The day went ok, but the periodically I would catch that faraway look in her eye and sadness. My father passed away 7 years ago and they had been married 60 years. I'm thinking pulling her off this medicine. I prefer her the way she was, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde personality that she has for the last 2 years. At the very least, there was no sadness, no tears and no wanting to just die. This behavior just hurts my heart. I would rather be frustrated by her behavior than this sadness.
Angel
I have copied this from a UK website:
The guidance from NICE (2011) recommends that donepezil (AKA ARICEPT), rivastigmine or galantamine is offered as part of NHS care for people with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease. There is good evidence (strongest for donepezil) that these cholinesterase inhibitors also help people with more severe Alzheimer's disease
Between 40 and 70 per cent of people with Alzheimer's disease benefit from taking a cholinesterase inhibitor. In cases where the treatment shows benefit, symptoms improve temporarily (for between six and 12 months in most cases) and then gradually worsen over the following months. People taking a cholinesterase inhibitor can experience: reduced anxiety; improvements in motivation, memory and concentration; and improved ability to continue daily activities (eg personal care, shopping, dressing).
It is not clear whether the cholinesterase inhibitors also bring benefits for behavioural changes such as agitation or aggression. Trials in this area have given mixed results.
Memantine
The NICE guidance (2011) recommends use of memantine as part of NHS care for severe Alzheimer's disease (see 'NICE guidance: a summary'). NICE also recommends memantine for people with moderate Alzheimer's disease who cannot take the cholinesterase inhibitor drugs (this is usually because of side effects).
Memantine is licensed for the treatment of moderate-to-severe Alzheimer's disease. In people in the middle and later stages of the disease, it can slow down the progression of symptoms, including disorientation and difficulties carrying out daily activities. There is some evidence that memantine may also help with symptoms such as delusions, aggression and agitation.
I hope that helps you hun but I can tell you first hand you need to give it 2 weeks to see if those symptoms settle down because Mum had weird side effects initially but the benefits far outweighed those initially
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