continued...

Depression occurs in close to half of people who have Alzheimer's disease. It is especially common during the early stages of the disease when a person may be aware of losing his or her ability to think and function independently. Antidepressants can relieve symptoms of depression and may improve quality of life, although they will not slow down the progression of Alzheimer's disease.

For more information , see the topic Depression.

Treating other causes of dementia

Conditions such as high blood pressure (which can lead to multi-infarct dementia), thyroid problems, or Parkinson's disease, also can contribute to dementia in an older person with Alzheimer's disease. Some of these conditions may respond well to treatment with medicines.

Medication Choices

Medicines used to treat symptoms of mental decline in people who have moderate Alzheimer's disease include Cholinesterase inhibitors such as donepezil (Aricept), galantamine (Razadyne), rivastigmine (Exelon), and tacrine (Cognex).

Memantine (Namenda) is a medicine for treating severe symptoms of confusion and memory loss from Alzheimer's disease. It works differently than cholinesterase inhibitors, but, like cholinesterase inhibitors, it does not prevent Alzheimer's disease from progressing. This medicine may cause dizziness, confusion, headache, and/or constipation in some people.

Tranquilizers may be used to treat anxiety, agitated or hostile behavior, sleep problems, frightening or disruptive false beliefs (delusions), suspicion of others (paranoia), or hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that aren't there).

A medicine called selegiline (Eldepryl) has also been used to treat thinking and memory problems found in Alzheimer's disease. This medicine is most often used to treat people with Parkinson's disease and is not as effective at treating Alzheimer's disease as some other medicines.

What To Think About

Close monitoring and regular reevaluation of the person with Alzheimer's disease are very important during treatment with medicine. As the disease progresses and symptoms change, the person's medicine needs often change. If you are a caregiver for someone with Alzheimer's disease, be alert for adverse drug reactions or side effects that further impair the person's ability to function.

Before deciding to manage behavior problems with a medicine, try to figure out what is causing the behavior. Understanding why a person is behaving in a certain way can point to better ways of dealing with that behavior. If you are able to find other ways of dealing with behavior problems, you may be able to avoid treatment with medicine and the side effects and costs that come with it.

One study provided some evidence that treating people who have mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease with a cholinesterase inhibitor reduced the burden on caregivers.⁸ Reducing that burden may allow people with Alzheimer's to live longer at home before being placed in a nursing home.

Rivastigmine (Exelon) can now be given through a skin patch. Skin patches release medicine into the blood at a steady level and may reduce side effects. And it¡¯s easier for caregivers to make sure a person is taking the medicine properly when the person uses a skin patch.