[DRUG ALERT] These Meds TRIPLE Dementia
If you’re caring for someone with dementia, you know that there are good days and bad.
On good days, your loved one can seem pretty lucid and cooperative…
And on bad days, they can be confused, agitated, and even hostile.
But, believe it or not, there’s a popular class of drugs that practically GUARANTEES dementia patients have bad days.
These meds can TRIPLE the worse symptoms of dementia – and they’re being handed out like candy.
The most common symptoms associated with dementia include things like memory loss, confusion, and depression.
But individuals with this condition are often dealing with another problem… significant, chronic pain.
That’s why nearly half of those living in assisted care currently receive opioid-type painkillers.
But according to recent research, those opioids TRIPLE some of the worse side effects of dementia, including personality changes, confusion, and sedation.
The specific drug tested in the study was buprenorphine, but there’s every reason to believe that any opioid would cause the same problems.
Opioids aren’t the only drugs that are problematic for dementia patients. A class of antipsychotics called Z drugs (zolpidem, zopiclone, and zaleplon) have been found to increase side effects – including DEATH – in dementia patients.
If you or a loved one has dementia, talk with your doctor about the drugs they’re taking – and about alternatives or possibly having the doses lowered.
To a brighter day,
Dr. Richard Gerhauser, M.D.
