Taken correctly, medications can help make it easier for you to live with Alzheimer’s disease or any health condition for that matter. But taking medications of any kind should always be done with caution and under a doctor’s supervision.
Before taking a drug of any kind, be sure to tell your doctor if you are allergic to any medications. Your doctor should also know about other drugs you are taking. Tell him about every drug, including allergy treatments, and even something as seemingly innocuous as a multivitamin. Some drugs can cause a bad reaction if they’re taken with another medication, or even a dietary supplement, and people who have Alzheimer’s are often taking more than one medication at a time. That’s why it’s also helpful to get all your medications from the same pharmacy, where all your records are kept and readily accessible to the pharmacist who is handling a new prescription.
You should always follow your doctor’s instructions when taking a medication. Do not increase or decrease a dosage on your own without checking with a doctor first. If you’d like to discontinue a medication because of bad side effects, you should let your doctor know. Some drugs may involve a gradual weaning process rather than an abrupt discontinuation.
Also, in patients who have Alzheimer’s, medications may produce unexpected side effects, even weeks after you’ve first started taking them. For instance, sedating medications such as those used to treat insomnia may cause increased confusion and raise your risk for falling and fractures. Always ask your doctor if a medication can cause side effects, and look for ways to control them. If you’re trying a new insomnia medication for example, choose a night when you don’t have anywhere to go the next morning, in case you oversleep.
In addition, people who have Alzheimer’s need to take extra precautions against overmedicating or forgetting to take a prescribed drug. You and your caregiver should work out a system that ensures you take your medications on time and in the right amounts. You should also know whether a drug needs to be taken with a meal, after a meal, or before a meal, then try to develop a system that makes sure you follow the right protocol.
To guard against mistakes, find out what to do if you do miss a dose. Even people without Alzheimer’s can forget to take a pill. Develop a strategy that will help you remember, whether it’s post-it notes, a phone call from a friend, or a medicine dispensing box that sets off an alarm when it’s time to take a pill.
While there are no medications to cure you of Alzheimer’s or to stop the progression of the disease, there are drugs that can help improve cognition and alleviate some of your symptoms. Using these medications carefully can be a boon to your day-to-day living and make it easier for you to adapt to having Alzheimer’s.
As always, the key is to educate yourself, to learn as much as you can about these drugs, their side effects, and potential interactions with other medications. The knowledge will serve you well as you pin down the best treatment regimen for your condition.