You get to a point in the progression of Alzheimer’s where the medications that used to work are either (1) not working as well as they used to, or (2) other meds need to be introduced to handle new issues such as delusions, paranoia, anxiety, aggressive behavior, etc. It becomes a bit of a Catch-22 from what I can see thus far. We know from studies and observation that the disease will eventually progress no matter what medications they are on, but the meds do help hold the progression back awhile, offering a better quality of life … or do they? This is my personal quandary.
I am very open to receiving information from our doctors and professionals with regard to this disease, and most of the time, I agree wholeheartedly with what they have to say.
But recently my father has been on a new medication they added to the normal list of Alzheimer’s meds that has curbed some paranoid behavior. There’s good news and not-so-good news. While it has curbed this behavior and he is easier to deal with, he shared with me that he no longer feels like himself and asked me to take him off of it. I could see it in his eyes that he was depressed, and that was enough for me to really think about this.
On the one hand, he is thinking clearer, which is a gift. But he is miserable, feels very sluggish, and sleeps much more than he used to. He is aging before our eyes and it is a difficult line to walk, not knowing the best decision for our loved ones. Do you take him off and the fog and paranoia continues, or do you keep him on so he can think clearer but he is very sluggish? Or maybe, we just reduce the dosage so he’s not as sluggish … your guess is as good as mine.
I do not have the answer to this one. I can only go on gut instinct and pray about it, because all I want is what’s best for him. It sure is difficult to know what that is.
© 2012 Julie Hall
Julie Hall
In The Trenches 