wife is a solid stage 5,lately she has been very combative,threats,seeing people in the house that arn't there,telling me people are coming into house an stealing her money,so I called her doc an he put her on xanax twice a day.just started yesterday so I'm wonering what changes I might be in for as far as her behavior is concerned,anyone else using this?
Is the doctor a neurologist/memory disorder specialist? Generally, AD patients exhibiting the behaviors you describe are put on Risperdal or Seroquel. Xanaax is a basic tranqulizer. It doesn't need weeks to build up in the bloodstream. It works within 30-45 minutes. It stays in the bloodstream for about 6 hours, then wears off. If it was going to work to calm her down, it should have worked within the hour of giving it to her.
dosage very important and different with everybody. My wife took 1/2 of a .25Mg daily, with great success. A .25 is not very much, and half of that should not make any difference. My experience was a full .25Mg knocked her out for three hours. The half helped smooth out the day. We used Lexapro for long term, all day, and the alprazolam (xanax generic) for right now, to treat anxiety. The low dosage was a constant hassle with doctors because it was so insignificant a dose, it couldn't matter (in their eyes). It made all the difference in the world. These are anxiety/panic disorder drugs, not to address combativeness. If she's scared/anxious, maybe combativeness is her reaction.
yes he is a neurologist first diagnosed her about a year an a half ago,the dosage is 25 mg twice a day,today was very calm,I'm hoping thats a sign of things to come
Doc put me on Xanax when I lost it one time. Took 1/2 a pill, it was probably .25mg, can't remember. Once when DH was impossible, I took it upon myself to give him 1/2 -- I know, I know, shouldn't give others your meds, etc, but I was desperate. Within 15 mins he was calm. So I did that from time to time, even gave some to day care staff to give if he got too upset. It never seemed to harm him, but it worked when nothing else did. When DH saw people in the house, I told them to go away & I guess they did because he seemed to stop seeing them. Strange world.
Ol Don, of course everyone responds differently to these meds. My DH took it and within a few minutes he was sleeping. It is great to control his outburst b/c sometimes I only have to give it to him one time and when he wakes up he has forgotten what ever it was he was raging about. He usually goes into a peaceful sleep for a couple of hours. Sometimes I think it the lack of restful sleep that brings some of these rages on. Word to the wise: do not leave this bottle where outside caregivers can get it. IT is a drug of choice for some addicts and will disappear at the blink of an eye!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!