HealthTree Blog

There are several drugs available for the treatment of Alzheimer’s. These include Aricept®, Namenda®, and most recently, Embrel®. Only a health professional can determine which drug or combination of drugs is right for an Alzheimer’s patient.

As with any chronic disease, it is often necessary to change drugs a number of times before discovering which one works best, or if combining two drugs, such as Aricept® and Namenda®, is the best treatment. Patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s, along with their caregivers or someone who sees the patient often enough to notice, should keep track of the decline or worsening of symptoms. This is especially important during the trial-and-error period, when it is being decided which drug is most effective.

Signs that a drug or drug combination is working include a decline in symptoms. Those patients who were diagnosed while still in the milder stages of Alzheimer’s often see a decline in symptoms such as confusion and memory loss. Patients with moderate to severe Alzheimer’s may not see a decline in symptoms; however, the ones that already exist may not worsen. This is sometimes referred to as “plateauing”, and can be considered a very positive sign that Alzheimer’s treatment is working.

Any changes in a patient’s condition, whether positive or negative, should be carefully noted. A negative change may be a sign that the medication is not working, or that a patient is experiencing side effects from it. Caregivers and others involved in the Alzheimer’s patient’s routine can compare notes to see if they are in agreement as to whether a behavior or change in behavior is a sign that treatment is either working or needs to be evaluated. One person may have noticed something that the other one missed, and this cooperation allows for all bases to be covered.