Re: better living through chemistry!

[Guest guest]

F. This is wonderful news. Thanks for sharing the cocktail your

Mother is on.

I will keep it as a future reference.

When was your Mom diagnosed? My Don was diagnosed incorrectly with

Alzheimer's in 2005, but in the beginning of 2006 I changed doctors who had the

right diagnoses right off the bat. I already knew what the diagnosis would be

as our dear Geri Hall thought it might be LBD, She was Soooooo right!

I hear you about it being rough. I have never had to treat Don's

hallucinations. He has had bad ones so few times that it wasn't worth dealing

with.

I was very thankful for that.

But, I have had to deal with agitation. UGH! At home I could show him lots

of love, and redirect his outburst, but in nursing homes that's a

different matter. We are trying his third NH this week. It has to be the last

one.

My health won't hold up for

anymore care at home.

Hope your Mom stays on this good " up " for a long time. It is wonderful

news.

Love a whole bushel basket,

Imogene

In a message dated 1/21/2010 12:33:08 P.M. Central Standard Time,

outrunranch@... writes:

I have been quite out of the loop lately, but would like to share some

information about medications that are REALLY helping my mom. We have had 2

years of hell and are so grateful to have found specialists (in the

Sacramento area) and therefore medications that are beginning to really make a

huge

difference for her. It is almost like having my real mom back! She still

has some hallucinations and does have trouble at night with talking in her

sleep and moving around some, but nothing like it used to be.

She is presently on (daily)

100 mg of seroquel (at night)

5 mg Namenda

5 mg Aricept

5 mg Lexapro

We are in process of increasing the Aricept and Namenda both to 10 mg, but

are doing it very slowly. The dr. wants to eventually decrease the

seroquel to 70 mg if we can.

The Namenda and Lexapro are the 2 newest drugs we have added, and this

" cocktail " has been amazing for her. It has been such an answer to prayer.

She has gone to feeding her " little people " and talking to them constantly

and yelling at the residents of her assisted care facility for talking

vulgarly in front of her little people, to acting quite appropriately, writing

letters again, making phone calls herself--The Lexapro has made her much

brighter and more gregarious, much like her pre-Lewy Body self.

Anyway, I hope that maybe this information might help someone else. My 94

yr old father also passed away in late Dec. We were very concerned that

Mom would take a nose dive, but she is holding her own and continues to do

very well.

F