Hubby experiencing anxiety attacks as we are switching daytime care help. Contacted Neuro and ask for some anti anxiety medication. He Rx's for Seroquel ??? I question that choice for this problem. Please any thoughts or feed back. Hubby with an acute awareness of his decline, don't want to push into a place I know he's going but he's not their yet. Doing this on the fly, texting at stop lights!
Seroquel, in my experience, is often used to combat anxiety making the spouse more manageable. However, my spouse was up to a 100 dose. It made her lethargic but reduced her wandering and attempting to leave the unit. She was also on Depakote which I believe is also for anxiety. She is now completely off both and has adjusted and is doing well in her new home.
Thanks Tom and divvi....couldn't get the back ground in while driving........Hubby (wakes up late) spends 5 hours alone while I work (doesn't wander, has special phone to call me, and bathroom has pee on the floor protection) 2.5 hours are with a male care person. They go out to lunch and run errands. He needs more care so I hired a very nice lady to come in when he gets up and help, bathroom, dressing the things the are more and more difficult. The transition is the problem. He's on the Aricept, Namenda, antidepressant. This anxiety attack was new, at first I thought sundowning starting but once we talk the situation out he was ok (of course ok relative to ALZ person) I contacted the Dr. for something like Ativan for a single situation. Don't get me wrong I am sure Seroquel is in the future.....we can only treat the circumstances from this point on. But with reading the side effects like Tom experience I thinking what slippery slop am I going on here. Believe me down is the only directions we are going I just don't want to push it on the fast track.
Terry54, seroquel was prescribed for DH's anxiety and motorization (read pacing) and has worked well. Didn't make him drowsy or a zombie and didn't affect his ability to do those activities he was able to do. Dr actually started on a low dose but needed to increase because DH just wouldn't stop pacing. You and your DH are not there yet-perhaps you should ask his dr why he prescribed seroquel instead of Ativan or another med. Depakote is an anti-seizure drug used in dementia patients to calm them down. There are many options-clonopin, depakote, neurontin, seroquel, celexa (anti-depressant), lexapro (anti-depressant), etc. Each dementia person reacts differently to the different drugs. A small dose of seroquel might just work. It's the heavier doses (DH is on them) that pose the real risks, but I am not dr and needed something to calm DH.
Terry: My dh was on seroquel for about 3 mos. over a year ago and it calmed him down right away. After he seemed to be calm for several months the dr. took him off the drug and he has been calm since then.
It sounds like you might be worried that once he is on the drug he can't get off. I don't think you should worry about that. I liked the drug for him because his calmness was a continual thing and he took it at a certain time right along with his other meds. When the dr put him on Ativan, he only took it when he wasn't calm...and I didn't like that at all. Because when he wasn't calm...he didn't want to take any meds, because he thought he was calm.
Terry54: Seroquel was prescribed for my DW and it worked well. However, it is expensive, but the maker (Astae Zenica) will help you if you will go on there website and fill out a small questionaire. It says on there that the income limit is fairly low, but, our dr said that they don't pay any attention to that. They help everybody that applies. At least they did two years ago.
One month, I paid $800.00 for a prescription (we were in the doughnut hole) and the next month, with theie help, it cost me $25.00.
Be sure to stay in touch with your dr when using this drup. It is powerful and strong. In fact, the pharmiacist said that it is a 'black label' drug. It can be dangerous.
Terry54: I think Seroquel is the go-to drug for dementia patients when something is needed to calm them down. As I understand it, there are fewer side effects and it is safer than some others. It does have the Black Box warning that it shouldn't be used for dementia patients, but so do all the other anti psychotics. We have had many discussions here regarding that issue, and I think most CG's and doctors feel that the potential risk is worth it, considering the benefits.
My husband was on Seroquel for 4 years and it worked well until he apparently developed a tolerance for it and it stopped working; then he was put on other drugs. He hasn't been given Ativan yet, but it was prescribed as a PRN (as needed) dose before something like a dental appointment. Seroquel should just take the edge off, it shouldn't speed up the decline (that seems like what you're worried about).
My husband takes seroquel for his agitation during the day. It hasn't sped up his decline and it does not make him sleepy. He takes it in the am and pm. I have ativan for when he goes to day care (1/2 pill) as it helps with his compulsive stealing of other people's food and he takes 1 whole pill at bedtime for help with sleep. A 1/2 doesn't make him sleepy at all. By adding the pill at bedtime, he is staying in bed past 4am. This was done for me.
your all wonderful, you addressed all my fears and concerns. So right marilyn my biggest concern I don't want to speed up his decline. Your correct LFL I did send an email to the Dr. saying I was surprised by his choice and wondered why he chose it. And Dean "big"thanks on cost factor and web sight. I guess I feel like I ask for a band-aid and got a full body cast. Thank you all
Terry54, my DH refuses to go back to the neurologist so when I knew he needed some meds to calm him down I came here & asked for help. Seroquel is what was suggested & so I called my PCP (who told me that he would help me with meds since DH wouldn’t go back to the neuro) & so now he is on a small dose of it. We were lucky because he didn’t have any adverse reactions to it.
My wife has seldom been unmanageable for the unit staff over the past year but she does have an Ativan script for PRN. Seldom used but reduced anxiety immediately. Over the past three years my spouse has been on almost all theALZ meds..none worked..hopefully some work for your loved ones. My concern remains that between the FP scripts for physical needs and the neuropsych meds for behavior issues, does anyone know what problems these combinations may cause. The meds also seem to regulary be changed or have the doses raised or lowered..very experimental it seems.
Her Family Practice physician has my spouse on a variety of meds perscribed for such issues as osteopena, thyroid, bp, hormone replacement and vitamins.
The only one you listed that my hb takes is blood pressure medication, and it doesn't seem cause any problems with the multiple psych meds he's on. As a matter of fact, an extra bp med (Prazocyn) was added NOT to address BP, but to help empty his bladder because of BPH. The normal BPH meds can do a number on dementia patients, but a partially full bladder can cause agitation. Consequently, Prazocyn does the trick without any problem side effects.
Tom, any doctor who prescribes meds for your wife should have a complete list of what she is currently taking. It is then their responsibility to avoid combining drugs that are contraindicated. Since she is in a unit, there should be no problem with side effects of combined medications unless they are unique to her.