alzhiemers - aricept

betsie

I don't know if anyone remembers but i posted a few months ago about my mum suddenly forgetting who my dad was.
Anyway she has now been diagnosed with vascular dementia and /or early stages of alzheimers.
This is a big blow as my dad also has dementia and has a memory span of 1 min. The thought of her going this way terrifies me. I have watched one parent slowly fading away and can't bear to go through it again. But not much I can do about it so we will just have to plod on.
Mum was persribed 5mg aricept (she has been on it for 4 days). Does anyone have any experience of this drug? I stupidly looked on the internet and have terrified myself looking at all the side effects. She is 82 and is ok with them so far (no stomach trouble or sickness or hallucinations so far).
My mum is also the main carer for my dad, and is very unkeen to have someone come into help. We did have a carer coming in to get him up but they didn't turn up till 9am (he is bowel incontinent so not a great job and most days the whole bed has to be changed) by which time my mum has got him sorted. The doctor said she needs more help as the stress of looking after him will make her worse.

Sorry for the ramble- any advice or views on aricept would be really appreciated.

katsclaws

Hello Betsie, I am sorry to read about your mum's diagnosis. Having two parents with dementia must be really hard.
Are you aware of the the Alzheimer's Society forum called Talking Point. Sorry I can't do links. I find the forum invaluable. You will find lots of information and support there.

haleybopp

Hi Betsie

I second the Talking Point forum!

My mum has been on Aricept for around 3 years. She started off on 5mg and as she tolerated it well and had absolutely no side effects was soon moved onto 10mg.

We saw quite an improvement although unfortunately the effects seem to be wearing off now and as she lives alone we are likely to start looking at care homes very soon.

Take care x

spaghetti_monster

Hi Betsie and sorry about your situation.

A third for the Talking point forum:
http://forum.alzheimers.org.uk/forum.php

My Dad was a bit ill at first with this drug and then improved. It didn't do so much for him, but I've heard a lot of positive stories.
I think there was something in the news recently about it being good for the earlier stages as well:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17275807

spaghetti_monster

Also....would take too long to go into the in and outs - but with my family situation I really regret that we didn't get outside help sooner.
I think it's sometimes difficult to reverse the roles, when a parent is telling you they're fine and don't need help.
I would start asap to get some more help - in our family there's been two cases (my Dad and FIL) and I can see now (with hindsight) that disruptions/incidents/etc made them deteriorate each time.

Wilma33

Could your parents may be go to bed later so it's not a problem if the carer doesn't arrive until 9am?

betsie

The time he goes to bed makes no difference. If he wakes at 7am and is dirty my mum cant expect him to lay there init till the carer comes at 9am.
I think I am going to try and get someone to come in and do the bed everyday and clean his room up and put the sheets onto wash. At least then the timing isnt so important. Would I get a carer to come in and do this?

Also those who have parents on aricept how long did it take to notice an improvement and how long does it work for?

My dad decided to go out of the front door yesterday for the first time in 7 years (on his own) and ended up falling and being taken to hospital (he has a lovely black eye and swollen hand) he told the hospital he lived on his own. My mum thought he had gone missing (she had taken the dog out and came back to an empty house) spent an hour looking round the streets for him and called the police now. We can laugh now but it wasnt funny at the time. Dad has forgotten all about it. I worry about them constently and although I see them every day I still feel guilty.

wondercollie

Aricept is one of those drugs that people either do really well on or it has no effect. But as the disease progresses the effectiveness declines. Usually it helps for about three years.

I've patients lose the effects in as little as a year. My best friend's Dad managed for 2.5 years on it before his doctor discontinued it. Every patient is different.

One friend wound up going from Canada to the UK four times a year to deal with his father's dementia because his brother who lived in the same town as the father couldn't be bothered.

The main thing is to start planning now for the future. Don't wait until neither parent is unsafe at home. My friend wound up relocating her father the length of the country to live with her after her Mum died. Her father nearly destroyed her family before she was able to have him placed in a secure unit.

It sounds grim but she's accepted that her father is no longer inside the man she visits at the home. One child refuses to visit because the brunt of his anger was directed towards her. Turns out the poor girl resembles his sister who "disgraced the family" back in the 1940s!

Always remember you and yours are importants. Don't let the guild destroy you.