Doctors usually start patients at low drug doses and gradually increase the dosage based on how well a patient tolerates the drug.
However, the higher the dose, the more likely side effects will occur. Patients should be monitored when a drug is started. All of these medicines have possible side effects , including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, allergic reactions, and loss of appetite.
Report any unusual symptoms to the prescribing doctor right away. Also, let the doctor know before adding or changing any medications. Scientists are learning why these symptoms occur and are studying new treatments — drug and nondrug — to manage them.
Learn more about behavioral changes in people with Alzheimer's disease and ways to cope. Sleep aids are used to help people get to sleep and stay asleep.
There are lifestyle changes people can make to improve their sleep. Learn more about getting a good night's sleep.
Anti-anxiety drugs are used to treat agitation. These drugs can cause sleepiness, dizziness, falls , and confusion. For this reason, doctors recommend they should only be used for short periods of time.
Anti-convulsants are drugs sometimes used to treat severe aggression. Side effects may cause sleepiness, dizziness, mood swings, and confusion. Antipsychotics are drugs used to treat paranoia, hallucinations , agitation, and aggression.
Forgot Username or Password? Medications for Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's rehabilitation. How is Alzheimer's disease treated? Care plans may include any of the following: Medicines. These may slow down symptoms for a while and make the disease easier to live with. These medicines may not work for everyone or have a big effect. But most experts think they're worth a try. Regular doctor visits to check the person's response to medicine, look for new problems, see how symptoms are changing, and provide continuing education to the family.
Treating other health conditions, such as depression or hearing and vision loss. Planning how the person can be as independent as possible and manage his or her own life for as long as possible. Previous Section Next Section. Condition Spotlight. Clinical Trials Clinical trials are research studies that evaluate a new medical approach, device, drug, or other treatment. Open Trials Closed Trials. Clinical Trials View All ».
Clinical Trials. Acetylcholine is a chemical that helps pass messages between certain brain cells involved in memory. In Alzheimer's disease, these brain cells start to die and the amount of acetylcholine is very much reduced. Memory starts to suffer. Cholinesterase Inhibitors reduce the breakdown of acetylcholine and increases its levels in the brain. This reduces some of the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.
Unfortunately, not everyone benefits from these drugs, and if no improvement or stabilisation is seen in the first few months, then they should be stopped. Don't be put off by any side-effects early on in the treatment as these usually wear off after a few weeks. These drugs are usually prescribed for a trial period of 3 to 4 months to see if they show signs of helping.
There is no clear view as to how long they should be taken. If the condition progresses in spite of treatment, there may come a point when you and your doctor decide that there is little point in staying on them. You will usually see the specialist in a hospital clinic. You may need blood tests and a brain scan to exclude any other causes for the memory loss.
In some areas, the specialist will continue to prescribe the drug if they conclude that it is working. In other areas, the GP will prescribe it after the trial period. This drug is also known as Ebixa. It is thought to work by affecting a chemical in the brain called glutamate. In Alzheimer's disease, too much glutamate leaks out of damaged brain cells and interferes with learning and memory.
In some studies, Memantine was shown to improve the memory and behaviour of people with dementia in the medium and later stages. The main side-effects of Memantine - which are usually mild - are nausea, restlessness, stomach ache and headache. This drug is used in moderate dementia if the cholinesterase inhibitors cause undue side-effects.
It may also help in the more severe stages of the illness. This is a naturally occurring substance extracted from the Maidenhair tree. It has long been thought to enhance memory.
However, a recent study looked at the effects in Ginkgo in over people taking it for an average of 6 years. Unfortunately, Ginkgo did not stop dementia developing and, in a small number of people with heart problems, it actually seemed to make their dementia worse.
Another large analysis of Gingko which included patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease patients from nine trials also showed no consistent pattern of benefit associated with Ginkgo biloba.
However, Gingko was generally considered to be safe. This is a natural substance found in oils from soya beans, sunflower seeds, corn and cotton seed, as well as whole-grain foods, fish-liver oils and nuts. Vitamin E has many functions in the body. Vitamin E deficiencies are very rare.
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