Depakote and dementia

[qqwerty]

My wife has dementia and the Psych ( MD ) prescribed Depakote dementia in addition to Nemenda and Aricept after we told him that my wife was uncooperative, losing things, refusing to take her meds, and so on ( all dementia indicators ).

Today has been one of her worst days --combative, stubborn, losing things, and so on. Wife does have a nasty habit of not taking her meds on time or skipping them entirely.

I don't know if the Doc is treating her for depression and dementia or just one of the two. The only certain is that if she s suffering from depression --the Depakote is as helpful as Fruit Loops.

[Bil]

don't be an idiot, you need to make sure your wife takes her medicine...all medicines that work on mental function take time...weeks to show benefit. my friend, depakote is good for depression, anxiety, aggression, impulsivity, and it is now being studied for it's ability to protect brain cells in patients who are dying from alzheimer's. You should know what your wife is supposed to take and bring her a glass of water...after years of caring for your sorry ass it is now time to start caring for her.

[Diane]

What in the world would possess you to speak this way to someone who was asking a simple question? You are the idiot, and a rude one too! Must have forgotten to take your depakote today.

Bil wrote:

don't be an idiot, you need to make sure your wife takes her medicine...all medicines that work on mental function take time...weeks to show benefit. my friend, depakote is good for depression, anxiety, aggression, impulsivity, and it is now being studied for it's ability to protect brain cells in patients who are dying from alzheimer's. You should know what your wife is supposed to take and bring her a glass of water...after years of caring for your sorry ass it is now time to start caring for her.

[Parris]

I agree with Bil in Whitefield. How can you blame a sick person for being sick? If she is under the pressure you put her under with your harsh judgment of her condition, then you could be part of the reason she is going downhill. Please help her...if you can't and don't - who will? She will live longer and with more quality of life if she is loved and cared for respectfully and with as Bil said, the full commitment of someone who has certainly benefitted over the years by having a good wife, before her illness. No?

[tech07]

Currently, I am on 8 different meds for various
reasons. Lisinopril,xanaz,celexa,propra nolol,vytorin,
glipizide and a couple more. All have had mild to moderately severe side effects. However, I have realized a couple of things over TIME.
One,the side effects for the meds decrease over time, sometimes weeks or months, but they do subside, and two, the long term benefits surpass the short term negatives. Don't give up! Let me illustrate this way. In order to reach that beautiful tropical island in the Caribbean, you have to wait in long airport lines,experience turbulance during the flight, a rough landing, long waits at customs,an unpleasant bus ride down a bumpy long road. But in the end, next thing you know, you're sitting on a white beach with baby blue water,sipping a pina colada. Getting to heaven often means struggling through a bit of hell. Set your mind, give the meds TIME, and EXPECT them to work. It's worked great for me.

[pmcbird]

pills makes me cranky, I must take them/of course/

I cann't mourn in silence I rattle on in the grand ole usa.

[Suzie]

I wouldn't recommend Depakote for dementia, as Depakote is known to CAUSE dementia.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez...

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez...

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez...

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez...

[Suzie]

And Bil, you sound like one of the scummiest people alive. You're the one who needs to stop being an idiot. Congratulations on being an uninformed prick - anyone who's recommending this stuff be given to the elderly, with PRE-EXISTING dementia, and yelling at their family members for having doubts, is simply vile. Thank God you're not a doctor, unless you are. It wouldn't shock me.

[Gene]

I agree and most of the time people with dementia are put on these drugs like Depakote to make them "behave" because many board and cares are understaffed and cannot meet the wide variety of needs of clients diagnosed with dementia. My advice is to observe, observe and observe your loved one with dementia, whether at home or in a facility. Do not take any health care workers word about your loved one's state. They will tell you things to get you to give the patient higher doses of the drugs to keep them docile and passive to the extreme. I am caring for my mother and after
following every one's advice about what she needed to squelch her agitation, I've decided to provide the one thing that really does calm her down and that is a good long walk by the sea.

[Melissa]

I agree with Bil.

The question the OP raised was tinged with frustration, irritation, and a lack of accepting responsibility.

ANY one caring or living with a person who has a debilitating illness, like the many expressed through the diagnosis of dementia, absolutely MUST decide that love is a decision and they must pick up the slack for the benefit of the patient.

That is what came through the OP.

Indeed the OP is frustrated and unfamiliar with how this disease progresses and the daily discoveries that impose on the care giver's freedoms.

Unfortunately there is no magic pill to swallow and observation and care are imperative.

OP, your wife is literally loosing her mind. If you are getting frustrated by her loosing things then it is time to educate yourself. Then, lay your life down and care for her.

[Gemey]

Caregivers need to vent sometimes!
When it comes to meds you can provide the meds water and stand by waiting and or watching, however it is abuse if you force the meds into their mouth!
Caregivers need a good support group! Caring for someone with dementia IS laying down your life. I say, "make sure you have a life that lets you care for your loved one and allows you some "Me" time."
Careing for my Mom in Oregon 4yrs now.