About Vincent Camarda Expertise I am able to answer just about any drug related question. I have good reference material at home and at work.
Experience I am a registered pharmacist for 15 years. I have experience in critical care medicine, and I am a certified diabetic educator. I have worked in hospital and retail settings.
Question MY MOTHER IS 85. SHE HAS ALWAYS BEEN VERY SHARP MENTALLY. WE NOTICED SOME MEMORY PROBLEMS AND IMMEDIATELY, HER DR. PUT HER ON REMINYL. SHE THEN WENT FOR TESTING AND WAS TOLD THAT SHE DID
N O T HAVE ALZHEIMERS! THE TESTS INDICATED THAT HER MEMORY PROBLEMS WERE FROM A COUPLE OF MINI STROKES THAT SHE HAD THAT WE WERE NOT AWARE OF. WE THEN QUESTIONED THAT FACT THAT SHE WAS ON THIS MEDICATION. SHE SPENDS HER WINTERS IN FLA. AND HER DR. DOWN THERE HAS NOW ADDED NAMENDA TO HER LIST OF DAILY MEDS. WE HAVE NO HISTORY OF MEMORY PROBLEMS ANYWHERE IN HER FAMILY AND MOST MEMBERS OF HER FAMILY MEMBERS HAVE LIVED TO BE IN THEIR 90'S - 100 YRS. OLD. I FEEL THAT THIS MEDICATION HAS WORSENED HER CONDITION. I AM SURE THAT SHE SHOULD NOT BE TAKING BOTH OF THESE MEDS AND I DON'T THINK THAT SHE SHOULD BE TAKING EITHER OF THESE MEDS. HER MOST NOTICEABLE PROBLEMS SEEM TO BE WITH OBSESSING ON CURRENT EVENTS SUCH AS DR. APPTS. AND ANYTHING WITH A DATE OR TIME ATTACHED TO IT. SHE HAS CALLED ME 4 TIMES THIS WEEK TO TELL ME ABOUT SURGERY THAT SHE IS HAVING NEXT MONTH. CAN YOU PLEASE GIVE ME YOUR OPINION. THANK YOU. I NEED TO HELP MY MOTHER.
Answer I can see how you can be looking at this situation as nonsensical, but there is nothing from which you describe that is amiss. The truth is, the mind is only now beginning to be understood. Most mental consitions have symptoms and etiologies that overlap other mental conditions. The science is not yet exact. Alzheimers is difficult to diagnose because the signs and symptoms can mimick anything from depression to psychosis to stroke survival. By having your mom take the medicine, there is a good chance that her mental ability would improve, and the same goes for the namenda. It is highly unlikely that the medication has worsened your moms condition. The behavior you describe is pretty common for people with early stages of alzheimers, dementia etc. The parts of your brain that works on the present is the first and most noticeble function to go. Namenda is a new drug and the only drug that is available for early dementia. Ask your moms doctor the rationale behind the prescribing. I am sure you will see similiarities between our answers. let me know if i can be of further help
