Anyone have experience with Meds prescribed for Dementia?

[F.W.D]

Although I'm only 66 y.o. my wife was concerned about my sometimes forgetfulness and family history of Alzheimer's  so she brought it up with our MD. He ran some silly memory test and put me on medications. Donepezil had awful gastrointestinal  side effects. Memantine is tolerable but I can't tell it's effective at all. Galantamine same thing. Personally I think all these cognitive enhancers and dementia meds just make you forget things. Anyone else have experience with these issues? would like ti hear your opinions. Tnak you, F.W.D
[url=https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/treatments/medications-for-memory#memantine][/url]

[Charon]

will look them up sometime tomorrow. we have people with knowledge of such meds i am guessing.

My clan was taken down by various cancers so we never had the time for dementia. And, my generation was told to learn a new language. Or something like weaponry in wars. Occupy your mind to keep it sharp.

Although this is coming from a woman whom has ms, lupus, seizures, a few strokes, so i am lucky i can remember anything.

I do notice that by darkness, I am not as sharp. So i never make major decisions at that time. It could be sundown syndrome but it could be i have not moved from my couch answering emails and researching vendors all day long.

Yes, dementia is real. I have a real problem with big pharma. I just wanna look those meds up and am curious what the medical sites will say are the onset symptoms and what meds are recommended and all.

I hope u get some good insight in this thread.

[F.W.D]

will look them up sometime tomorrow.  we have people with knowledge of such meds i am guessing.

My clan was taken down by various cancers so we never had the time for dementia.  And, my generation was told to learn a new language. Or something like weaponry in wars.  Occupy your mind to keep it sharp.

Although this is coming from a woman whom has ms, lupus, seizures, a few strokes, so i am lucky i can remember anything.

I do notice that by darkness, I am not as sharp.  So i never make major decisions at that time.  It could be sundown syndrome but it could be i have not moved from my couch answering emails and researching vendors all day long.

Yes, dementia is real.  I have a real problem with big pharma.  I just wanna look those meds up and am curious what the medical sites will say are the onset symptoms and what meds are recommended and all.

I hope u get some good insight in this thread.

Thank you Charon. Like you I don't trust big pharma and their relationships with Doctors at all, it's the biggest hustle going. But sometimes there are meds that are helpful. Online supports groups say read a lot and stay active physically. the brain is a muscle that will atrophy so the theory is to stimulate it to grow new brain cells.

[Tigertail58]

Although I'm only 66 y.o. my wife was concerned about my sometimes forgetfulness and family history of Alzheimer's  so she brought it up with our MD. He ran some silly memory test and put me on medications. Donepezil had awful gastrointestinal  side effects. Memantine is tolerable but I can't tell it's effective at all. Galantamine same thing. Personally I think all these cognitive enhancers and dementia meds just make you forget things. Anyone else have experience with these issues? would like ti hear your opinions. Tnak you, F.W.D
[url=https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/treatments/medications-for-memory#memantine][/url]

I think you are needlessly worrying.  Everyone loses a bit of sharpness as they mature.  Last week I left my car keys in the fridge but I am not panicking, I don't have the sharpness I had 25 years ago.  I worry of course but I understand the best you can do is keep active both mentally and physically.

[Levi517]

I agree with Charon and others here that the instant reflex by MDs to prescribe heavy duty meds may cause more harm than good. I’m aware of my own annoying short-term memory loss but it comes with the territory of aging. I have a personal trainer to assist in keeping physically fit as I age. I also owe it to myself to exercise my brain muscles. I was on a course last week that suggested using easy and cheap brain-boosters like sudoku, Cross-words etc. to challenge the mind and keep it toned.

[F.W.D]

I agree with Charon and others here that the instant reflex by MDs to prescribe heavy duty meds may cause more harm than good. I’m aware of my own annoying short-term memory loss but it comes with the territory of aging. I have a personal trainer to assist in keeping physically fit as I age. I also owe it to myself to exercise my brain muscles. I was on a course last week that suggested using easy and cheap brain-boosters like sudoku, Cross-words etc. to challenge the mind and keep it toned.

Well that Sudoku looks like a very interesting game,  never heard of it, that i remember.  My Dr told me to do more reading than watching television, I find i enjoy reading  more now. Thanks for the tip on Sudoku, i see you can play it online.
Regards,
F.W.D

[F.W.D]

From American Psychiatric Association:

New evidence shows that modafinil is associated with cognitive benefits in healthy people, researchers are examining whether the medication might also mitigate cognitive problems in patients with Alzheimer’s disease and bipolar depression.

[MoJim]

My father and grandfather both had dementia before they passed. My father died from complications of a broken hip when he fell and it was only a few days after the fall that he passed. The best advice for a caregiver/family member that I've known is that you need to live in their world not yours. Them asking the same questions over and over and only minutes apart, you can only respond as you did the previous eight times. My father did use Donepezil as well as other meds to slow the progression, but it's hard to tell if they made any difference at all. There is so many articles on the web about new and in the pipeline meds, that it would be pointless to provide links. Do your homework.

I find myself being more forgetful as I age, but it has pushed me to taper and reduce alcohol consumption knowing my family history. Certainly exercising the brain as well as the body can be helpful.

I did see "precious breakthroughs" with my father, but it's hard to say whether it was helped with meds. I believe that those moments were par for the course even before some of these newer meds were approved.

Still waiting for a medical breakthrough and I know billions are being spent looking for the cure. Even with the current meds, which can maybe only slow down the onset of symptoms, can be useful if taken early in your 50's or 60's instead of 80's or 90's. Don't wait if you feel your memory is declining at an abnormal rate.

Another question and maybe some testing, the next time I see my Dr.

[F.W.D]

My father and grandfather both had dementia before they passed. My father died from complications of a broken hip when he fell and it was only a few days after the fall that he passed. The best advice for a caregiver/family member that I've known is that you need to live in their world not yours. Them asking the same questions over and over and only minutes apart, you can only respond as you did the previous eight times. My father did use Donepezil as well as other meds to slow the progression, but it's hard to tell if they made any difference at all. There is so many articles on the web about new and in the pipeline meds, that it would be pointless to provide links. Do your homework.

I find myself being more forgetful as I age, but it has pushed me to taper and reduce alcohol consumption knowing my family history. Certainly exercising the brain as well as the body can be helpful.

I did see "precious breakthroughs"  with my father, but it's hard to say whether it was helped with meds. I believe that those moments were par for the course even before some of these newer meds were approved.

Still waiting for a medical breakthrough and I know billions are being spent looking for the cure. Even with the current meds, which can maybe only slow down the onset of symptoms, can be useful if taken early in your 50's or 60's instead of 80's or 90's. Don't wait if you feel your memory is declining at an abnormal rate.

Another question and maybe some testing, the next time I see my Dr.

Understand well what you've gone through MoJim. My Grandmother, who raised my from the time I was 2, hers came on about age 65. I was 15 (1967). First couple years she just exhibited a lot of bizarre behavior. Everyone just thought grandma was getting senile. but then she started deteriorating physically, falling and injuring herself often and had to be restrained to a wheel chair. Last couple years she couldn't remember any of her 7 children's names. Traumatic and heartbreaking.

[MoJim]

I've seen a couple of studies recently. One was just a healthy living type of lifestyle including diet, exercise, socializing and brain games.

The other is a vaccine that may be ready for human trials in the near future. This has been reported on many news outlets.

Researchers at the University of Texas (UT) reported Tuesday that they have developed a vaccine that could arm the body to attack Alzheimer's plaques and tangles before they even start to shut down the brain. They hope to begin testing the vaccines in humans soon.