Geriatric Consultant Resources
Senior Care Resources
Medications and Alzheimer’s Disease
Learning about Medications
Drug and Disease Interactions
What happens if my loved one has other medical conditions, in addition to their Alzheimer’s disease?
It is not uncommon for elderly Alzheimer’s disease patients to have multiple medical conditions.
In general, there are no particular conditions that prevent an Alzheimer’s disease patient from receiving the available medications and proper care they need to manage their disease.
There are some precautions that your doctor will keep in mind if your loved one, for example, has certain heart conditions that affect their heart rate and rhythm, is at increased risk for development of ulcer, has a history of seizure or lung disease, or decreased kidney or liver function.
My loved one is taking some other medications as well. Will they interfere with my loved one’s Alzheimer’s medication in any way?
In general, the available Alzheimer’s disease medications do not cause serious interactions with most other medications.
However, there are certain medications to consider more carefully while also taking an Alzheimer’s medication.
For example, certain medications used to treat conditions such as infection, seizure disorders, irregular heart beats, high blood pressure, anxiety or depression may affect how to best treat your loved one also receiving an Alzheimer’s medication.
There are different types of medications used to treat certain conditions, which are known to potentially worsen a person’s mental status, especially in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Some of these medications can cause changes in mental status themselves. Others have anticholinergic properties, whose mechanisms can work against the cholinesterase inhibitor type of Alzheimer’s disease medications (Razadyne, Exelon, Aricept), blocking their beneficial effects.
Examples of classes of medications that can worsen mental status are listed below. (Please note that this list is not all-inclusive). Please remember, always to talk to your doctor and pharmacist about all the medications your loved one is taking, including prescription medications, over the counter products you find in drug stores, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
This is a particular class of medication used to treat patients with overactive bladder. These work to better maintain a person’s urinary control. Examples include Ditropan® XL (oxybutynin) and Detrol® LA (tolterodine). They are also known to potentially decrease or counteract the effects of the cholinesterase inhibitor medications (Razadyne, Exelon, Aricept) used to treat Alzheimer’s disease, making them less effective.
Newer medications available to treat overactive bladder include Sanctura® (tropsium), Enablex® (darifenacin) and VESIcare® (solifenacin). They should also be discussed with your loved one’s doctor if they are prescribed for Alzheimer’s disease.
Usually, one or both of the medication doses are adjusted, or an alternative is provided, and the patient is monitored for any additional side effects.
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