my husband recently started taking aricept. I have noticed slight memory loss for some time. I have so many questions. The biggest question, do those with alzheimers go into rages? Just ranting and raving, making accusations about so many things. This has gotten so pronounced in the last year or 2 and I don't know if this is a symptom of alzheimers or if something else is going on. His mother had alzheimers and was very mean . I would love some advice or answers.
laura welcome. i see you are new? its very very common. most of us have passed this dreadful time some here are still in it right with you. some find the aricept can cause anger issues if they are intolerant. if this gets worse on the aricept you should call his dr and let him know. there are some other alzheimers meds they can try. sorry you are part of this group for the reasons of AD but glad you are here among new friends! divvi i will see if i can find some topics for you to read about anger issues.
laura-does your husband have AD or FTD. Rages are more common with FTD and aricept can make the condition worse. You need a definite diagnosis. Oh-by the way-welcome to the family.
Welcome to my website. Please copy and paste this link to just ONE of my blogs on rages -http://www.thealzheimerspouse.com/Alzheimerrage.htm Although advancing of the disease and medication have eliminated the rages, shivers still run up and down my spine when I think of what I went through for at least 2 years.
You have come to a place of comfort for spouses/partners who are trying to cope with the Alzheimer's/dementia of their husband/wife/partner. The issues we face in dealing with a spouse/partner with this disease are so different from the issues faced by children and grandchildren caregivers. We discuss all of those issues here - loss of intimacy; social contact; conversation; anger; resentment; stress; and pain of living with the stranger that Alzheimer's Disease has put in place of our beloved spouse/partner.
The message boards are only part of this website. Please be sure to log onto the home page - www.thealzheimerspouse.com - and read all of the resources on the left side. I recommend starting with "Newly Diagnosed/New Member" and "Understanding the Dementia Experience". There are 4 sections for EOAD members - two of which focus on the young teens whose parents have EOAD (early onset AD). There is a great section on informative videos, and another excellent resource - Early Onset Dementia - A Practical Guide. You can go to the top of this page, click on "search", and type in EOAD, making sure the "topic" circle is filled in. All of the EOAD discussions will come up - there are about a dozen of them.
Do not miss the "previous blog" section. It is there you will find a huge array of topics with which you can relate. There is a "search" feature on the home page that allows you to look up different topics that may have been explored in a previous blog. I urge you to use that feature and type in the word "Rage". My blogs on that subject will come up, and you will see that you are not alone. Log onto the home page daily for new blogs; news updates; important information.
Welcome, Laura. Yes, many of us have dealt with rages. There are meds that can help. Read, read read and then ask questions again! My husband was first diagnosed with ALzheimers but it turned out to be FTD or a combination. He is on Exelon which helped (I think) but the answer to his rages was found in Risperidon.
Laura, welcome, I am relatively new to this,also. My hb started Aricept this past January. You will find this an informative and supportive place to come. I agree,do the search thing , there is a wealth of information on this site.
I would add, call you doctor and discuss the changes in his behaviour. Maybe an adjustment is needed. And welcome to our wild world..you will find lots of helpful info here as well as some wonderful new friends who do understand all you face. This is the most valuable site I have found on this subject and not a day goes by that I don't pop in first thing in the morning and then later in the day as well.
Yes Laura. Sweet, nice people can become angry, foul mouthed people. Mean, nasty people can become sweet and nice. Others do not really change throughout. YOu never know.
Hi Laura, Welcome to the family! I am relatively new, but I have found an abundance of information here & it makes you feel as if you aren't alone in this journey.
I'm afraid physical abuse is next. DH gets very upset with me over nothing. He once said he'd like to slit my throat.I think of this when I go to bed at night. Oh what a life we lead.
Ann!! How long ago was this statement made? Have you spoken to the doctors about this? If not I think you should and quickly. We never know what IS in their minds and what might spark them to act..I think this is why I sleep so badly.MY DH has never made a threat or physical gesture and I don't think he will,I just worry about him falling or having some problem but who knows..He could have a dream that makes him do something in his sleep..
If you have not spoken to the doctor, or if he needs a med adjustment please for your safety do so. Saying he would like to slit your throat is pretty scary and being ill doesn't mean he might not do it or try...he is not himself but still the threat could be real.
Ann please call his dr and tell them of the threat hes made. its no joke when they threaten they can surely act on it without remorse. we must remember our safety and theirs comes first as many here can attest to. divvi
Ann, you might want to make sure that all knives, scissors and sharp objects are locked away somewhere.....it might be inconvenient, but he could have some sort of episode in the middle of the night and come after you. Sounds horrible, but everything about this crappy disease is horrible.
Ann, take this seriously. It is easy to not believe that they mean it. Back 3 years ago there was on violent episode. I always swore that if there was ever a second my husband was going to the hospital and he was not coming home. Three years later I had a small string of episodes but it didn't sink in that I was dealing with violence until the last one.
I have placed him now. And the nursing home has the ability to deal with him in ways I never could.
But the night before I sent him to the hospital, I called the hot line and the social worker asked me if I thought I needed to leave the house. He was sleeping so I didn't think so. Instead I decided that for my own safety, and his, HE needed to leave the house.
FayeBay, which is why his doctor sent him to the HOSPITAL. There we got him off all drugs. Then he started acting out and they tried ONE of the drugs he had already been on. It worked. Meanwhile they were running a whole battery of medical tests including a CAT scan of his brain (for a bleeder). Once they knew that they could get him calmed down, but not zonked out, he went to a medical floor for three days of more medical tests (mostly looking for infections) and drug stabilization. Once he was stabilized and they were pretty sure they knew how much to give him they sent him to the nursing home.
During the last two weeks at the nursing home they have tweaked his drugs, taken him off some others that no longer make sense, and have had him doing physical, occupational and cognitive therapy. As a result he is no longer a fall risk, he has gone back to using the bathroom and he is trying to talk to me again.
The pacing still goes on all day, but he is no longer a fall risk. He is still a runner, so he isn't coming home.
The trick is to get the drugs stabilized before they send them to the nursing home.