People with Alzheimer’s disease may take medicines to treat the disease itself, mood or behavior changes, and other medical conditions. Caregivers can ensure that medicines are taken safely and correctly. Here are some tips to help you manage medications for someone with Alzheimer’s disease.
Learn the basics
Know each medicine (prescription and over-the-counter) the person with Alzheimer’s disease takes. Ask the doctor or pharmacist:
Why is this medicine being used?
What positive effects should I look for, and when?
How long will the person need to take it?
What is the dose and how often should he or she take the medicine?
What if the person misses a dose?
What are the side effects, and what can I do about them?
Can this medicine cause problems if taken with other medicines?
Managing medications is easier if you have a complete list of them. The list should show the name of the medicine, the doctor who prescribed it, how much the person with Alzheimer’s takes, and how often. Visit Tracking Your Medications: Worksheet for a template. Keep the list in a safe place at home, and make a copy to keep in your purse or wallet or save a picture on your phone. Bring it with you when you visit the person’s doctor or pharmacist.
People with Alzheimer’s should be monitored when they start taking a new drug. Follow the doctor’s instructions and report any unusual symptoms right away. Also, let the doctor know before adding or changing any medications.
People with Alzheimer’s disease often need help taking their medicines. If the person lives alone, you may need to call and remind him or her or leave notes around the home. A pillbox allows you to put pills for each day in one place. Some pillboxes come with alarms that remind a person to take the medicines.
As Alzheimer’s gets worse, you will need to keep track of the person’s medicines. You also will need to make sure the person takes the medicines or give the medicines to him or her.
Some people with Alzheimer’s take medicines to treat behavior problems such as restlessness, anxiety, depression, trouble sleeping, and aggression. Experts agree that medicines to treat behavior problems should be used only after other strategies that don’t use medicine have been tried. Talk with the person’s doctor about which medicines are safest and most effective. With these types of medicines, it is important to:
It is recommended that people with Alzheimer’s should not take anticholinergic drugs. These drugs are used to treat many medical problems such as sleeping problems, stomach cramps, incontinence, asthma, motion sickness, and muscle spasms. Side effects, such as confusion, can be serious for a person with Alzheimer’s. These drugs should not be given to a person with Alzheimer’s disease. You might talk with the person’s doctor about other options. Examples of these drugs include:
Ipratropium — brand name Atrovent
Dimenhydrinate — brand name Dramamine
Diphenhydramine — includes brand names such as Benadryl and Nytol
Some people, especially those with late-stage Alzheimer’s, may have trouble swallowing pills. In this case, ask the pharmacist if the medicine can be crushed or taken in liquid form. Here are other ways to make sure medicines are taken safely:
Keep all medications locked up.
Check that the label on each prescription bottle has the drug name and dose, patient’s name, dosage frequency, and expiration date.
