The MRI ordered by his neurologist showed multiple micro hemorrhages especially in his right temporal lobe and both cerebellar lobes. He is experiencing increasing difficulty with wordfinding, comprehension and mental processing. The neurologist prescribed Aricept at our visit 6 months ago. I asked if he’d keep seeing us if we chose not to take the Aricept. I’d been following webinars about Awakening from Alzheimer’s and Regain Your Brain where specialist after specialist said that nothing the pharmaceuticals have come up with is really of any help.
Now I’m wondering if we made the best decision. What could others share from personal experience? Digestive side effects seem quite likely according to online information.
However he was suffering from memory problems, executive function lapses, and self abuse/neglect. So the mini-mental is not the definitive test.
The physician on the geriatric psych floor told me there is no definitive study that shows that Aricept is effective.
Yet it gets prescribed anyhow. The doctor told me that it does help the family feel as though they are doing something.
My LO had Vascular dementia, so those types of meds were not offered. Later, it was thought that she might have mixed dementia, which is Vascular and Alzheimers, but, she was already advanced by then and I chose not to pursue those drugs, based on discussion with her doctor and everything that I read. It's a personal decision. I think some people who have AD believe it is helpful.