Expert: Michalene Peticca - 10/30/2008

Question
my mom is at late stage of alzheimer's disease. she is only 69 years old. In the past two months, she cries for hours , especially when she is away from my father. we take her out for a few hours to give my dad a break. she would cried, at times out loud, at times yelling and repeating every few seconds" i want to see dad". we cannot take her out in public bc she is extemely upset, agitated. how do we stop her constant crying? we is on ativan as needed which does not seem to help and celexa for depression with no help.
have u heard of valporic acid or risperdal? thanks for your help. anne

Answer
Hi Anne,

Thank you for writing.  My last response apparantly did not go through the system.

Valporic acid is Depakote which is used primarily for seizure disorders.  If your mother truly has Alzheimer's disease, this will be ineffective for usage.

Risperdal is another "not recommended" medication as it has a host of side effects for aging individuals.

Unfortunately, your mother is going through a "phase" with the disease and will progress to the point that she no longer displays this type of behavior; however, it may be 6 months, it may be 1 year...eache person develops differently.

I would stick with the Ativan and ask her physician as to the maximum dosage that is safely prescribed.

Otherwise, i would try to include activities that "take her mind off" of your father...eg, walks, church, library, etc.  

Best Regards,

Michalene Peticca, MA