Alzheimer’s Care Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What drugs are people with Alzheimer’s disease not recommended to use?
A: As there is no cure for the illness itself, the person with Alzheimer’s may be prescribed medicine to deal with its symptoms. These medications may also treat other symptoms simultaneously – diabetes, high levels of cholesterol, increased blood pressure. However, it’s not healthy to be on medications all the time, as the Alzheimer’s patient runs the risk of developing adverse body reactions, such as agitation, desire to sleep or inability to do so, mood swings, upset stomach and loss of appetite.
While Alzheimer’s care presupposes taking drugs to deal with hallucinations and aggressiveness, as the most serious symptoms, there are certain drugs that have been reported to cause adverse reactions or even worsen the condition of the patient:
•    Benzodiazepines and barbiturates (hypnotics and sedatives) are known for slowing down reaction and causing further memory impairment.
•    Antidepressants, especially tricyclic antidepressant amitriptyline - Elavil, have been reported to cauascause sedation. They also interfere with Alzheimer’s medication, such as Exelon (rivastigmire), Reminyl (galantamine), and Aricept (donepezil).
•    Another group of drugs that can cause sudden decrease of blood pressure, sedation and mental impairment are antipsychotics. They can also interfere with the medicine you are taking to treat the symptoms of Alzheimer’s.
It’s recommended to talk to your doctor before you start taking any of theses medications to avoid adverse reaction of your body and any side effects.
You should also keep in mind that some drugs you buy without prescription can also cause side effects and interfere with the Alzheimer’s medication. It can be cough and cold remedies, as well as drugs you use to sleep better. Talk to your doctor before taking any additional drugs to avoid health problems.

Q: My loved one refuses food quite often. Can I do anything to help?
A: It’s crucial for Alzheimer’s patient to get good nutrition on a regular basis. If the quality of nutrition leaves much to be desired, the symptoms can become worse. The reason for your loved one to refuse food probably lies in some temporary symptoms, such as sore mouth, nausea, diarrhea or heartburn; all of them can be dealt with if correct medication is taken. However, it’s best to consult the doctor before giving any medication, as interference with Alzheimer’s medication is possible.
Here is some diet advice you can follow to help your loved one:
General advice:
•    Consult your doctor. The lack of appetite can be connected with depression, so you can cure it. Your loved one is likely to recover the appetite after such treatment.
•    Don't attempt force-feeding. Ask questions to find out the reason the person doesn’t feel like eating – for it may be as simple as he or she doesn’t like the way the food tastes.
•    Do not encourage drinking tea andor coffee
•    Think about serving finger food to make it easier and more enjoyable
•    Never treat the person like a child.
•    Encourage your loved one to get involved into simple physical activities. For people with Alzheimer’s, activities are important to keep up the muscle tone.
•    Prepare meals in smaller servings; give snacks.
Meal advice:
•    You can resort to the following trick: give the person something to drink after the meal or while he\/she is eating to avoid the feeling of full stomach.
•    Plan every meal in advance and make sure it includes your loved one’s favorites.
•    Serve food that contains more calories first.
•    Don’t be afraid to experiment with the food you prepare: its color, texture, etc.

Q: Is aluminum bad for you if consumed in big amounts? Has any connection between aluminum and Alzheimer’s been established?
A: It’s not easy to say for sure whether certain metals should be avoided because of the harm they do to your body. The first difficulty is that a certainsome amount of metals is vital for the normal functioning of your body; the second one is that only some of the metal you consumed will be adbsorbed. However, there are some metals that have been reported to cause damage: lead, arsenic and mercury.
Some years ago, aluminum dust in the factories producing metal objects aluminum dust was thought to be responsible for a number of neurological problems. When many factories were in fact studiedexamined, very little absorption of aluminum was detected, which could not cause the symptoms. More clear evidence for aluminum-related diseases was found in dialysis dementia. With time, people who previously suffered from kidney failure and had to go through dialysis developed the following symptoms: memory loss, impaired speech, sudden movements and frequent seizures. These symptoms were connected with the quality of water in the community: it contained higher amounts of aluminum. When this metal was eliminated from the dialysis fluid, the incidence of dementia dropped, which showed aluminum was responsible. Today this is a very rare case.  People not going through dialysis find it hard to believe aluminum may lead to dementia, partly because drinking water contains very little of it if compared with the amounts in the most common antacids, while antacids have never been reported to cause dementia.
It was found that people living in areas with high amounts of aluminum in drinking water were more susceptible to the disease. Aluminum was also suggested to cause brain inflammation, – which could also lead to Alzheimer’s. However, these theories were soon discarded, as brain cell impairment connected with aluminum appeared to be different from changes that happened in Alzheimer’s patients. Very few scientists believe that there is any clear connection between this metal and developing Alzheimer’s.
And even though there are scientists who think one may lead to another, most of them do not have any proof. Besides Except big industrial exposure or fluid used for hemodialysis, which contains high level of aluminum (something that is already in the past), there seems to be no possibility of the disease being caused by this metal.

Q: Lately I have found it very hard to memorize stuff. I keep forgetting numbers and facts minutes after I am given such information. Sometimes I have difficulty remembering whether I did something the day before or not. I think I am way too young to get Alzheimer’s, but these signs do not help reassure myself. I also feel exhausted during the day, no matter what I do. Are there any other reasons I experience all those things?
A: What you described sounds like the beginning of short-term memory loss. When your brain receives new information, it has to immediately process and store it immediately, otherwise the information just gets lost soon afterwards. If you are not listening very attentively, or you can’t concentrate due to some reason, your brain may not have the chance to “record” and store any information; it happens to all of us, and the age doesn’t matter. However, since all the symptoms you described have been repeating over some period, medical attention and assessment of your condition are required.
Short-term memory loss can be developed due to many reasons. The most common factor is emotional stress, caused by depression, constant worries, and anxiety. The cause may also be an injury, alcohol abuse, taking illicit drugs and certain kinds of medications. Short-term memory loss can also be also attributed to a mental or neurological disorder, but this seems unlikely as young people are rarely affected.

Q: What is “sundown syndrome”?
A: Sundown syndrome (a.k.a. sundowning, a.k.a. sunsetting) is the type of behavior found in people suffering from Alzeihmer’s. It includes patterns of disorientation, confusion, agitation and anxiety; these symptoms commonly occur after the sun set. This behavior may continue for several hours or until the night is over.
It’s not known exactly what is the reason some people develop this syndrome, but some factors may contribute to these symptoms. The most common factor is exhaustion (both mental and physical). Sundown Syndrome syndrome also has to do with the person’s “body clock” that differs from the time zone he or she lives in. Another factor may be sleeplessness during the night hours, which causes disorientation. Medication that has side effects, such as confusion or agitation, can also be one of the factors.
Sundown syndrome can be very hard on the Alzheimer’s patient and people providing medical attention. Here is some advice that will help you deal with it:
•    Plan the day ahead, making sure the most difficult and time-consuming tasks happen in the first half of it (this is the time people are less likely to get agitated).
•    Pay attention to the food the person consumes. Caffeine-containing drinks and sweets should be eaten in the morning. To avoid hunger in the late hours, try serving a snack orf a light meal in the late afternoon. Before going to bed it’s nice to have a glass of warm milk or a cup of herbal tea (without caffeine).
•    Make sure there is enough light in the room the person rests. Close the drapes before it’s dark outside, so that the patient doesn’t feel nervous seeing the sun go down.
•    Do not wake the person if he or she falls asleep on the couch, as it may cause the symptoms.
•    The best way to distract the patient displaying the symptoms of the sSundown sSyndrome is to get him or her to participate in some activities; it can also be relaxing music or a positive fun video.
•    Make sure the person gets some physical exercise during the day, as it will provide for better sleep.
•    Alzheimer’s care takes a lot of time and effort, but you should never demonstrate show your irritation to with the person havingwith the disease.

Q: Can low blood pressure contribute to the development of Alzheimer's disease?
A: If you have low blood pressure it’s not the risk factor. At the same time low blood pressure means that your brain doesn’t need enough oxygen, which adversely affects its function. Chronic low blood pressure has been reported to be connected with the changes that happen in the white matter of your brain. This evidence was received after MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) tests had been carried out. So, there is no clear connection between low blood pressure and Alzheimer’s.

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