Bursack: Too much medication worsens symptoms

• Carol Bradley Bursack

Carol Bradley Bursack

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Dear Carol: My mom has late-stage Alzheimer’s disease. Her doctor took her off the medications for slowing AD in June, then prescribed Ativan for anxiety. At first, we saw some improvement in her behavior, but it didn’t last long, so he added the antipsychotic medication Haldol.

Haldol made Mom drugged and sleepy, but worse, it caused hallucinations when she was awake. The doctor’s answer to that problem was to increase the dosage. She then could no longer walk, talk or swallow. She also developed a urinary tract infection and was hospitalized.

While she was in the hospital, the doctor in charge took her off of both Ativan and Haldol. She gradually became sweet and happy, and began to talk, laugh and enjoy life. She has slowly improved to where she can recognize family members and even remember someone’s name for a short time.

Last week she asked for biscuits and gravy. We were flabbergasted, as it’s been over a year since she even knew she was eating breakfast. Those medications are scary. – Suzanne

Dear Suzanne: I’m not a medical person, so my information stems from personal experience, reading expert opinions, and communicating with readers.

To me, your mom sounds like an extreme example of why medications need to be watched so carefully. Possibly the early Alzheimer’s medications were beneficial, but eventually the doctor felt that they’d done what they can, so he wisely removed those drugs and tried another approach. That makes sense.

While Haldol must work for some conditions, I’ve never received one letter praising the drug when used for dementia, but I’ve received many letters against it. My dad, post-brain surgery, had hallucinations and paranoia from Haldol, so I’ve witnessed that first hand. Why your mom’s doctor increased the drug when she was reacting negatively baffles me. Ativan is reported to be helpful to some people with anxiety from dementia, if the drug is closely monitored.

It seems as though the medication side effects, which can mimic dementia, may have made your mom seem more ill than she was.

Please consider contacting a geriatrician for your mom. These doctors specialize in elder care and may be more able to make appropriate decisions regarding her medications.

Carol Bradley Bursack is the author of a support book on caregiving and runs a website supporting caregivers at www.mindingourelders.com. She can be reached at carol@mindingourelders.com.

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