My 89 year old father was recently diagnosed with late moderate stage Alzheimer's. His hallucinations and delusions are increasing. The neurologist who diagnosed him prescribed Seroquel .25. He tried it once and refused to take it again because he could barely stand a half hour later as he was going to bed. I could not convince him to try a half of the pill the next day or at any other time.
I had a consult with his primary care doctor. I am going to try and crush a half of the pill and put it in his food at the doctors advice. If this doesn't work, I am going to try Risperdal in liquid form to put on his food. My father flat out refuses to take any pills. His doctor is aware of this. Has anyone experienced crushing Seroquel and putting it in food? The pharmacist said it is not the time released form. Or adding the Risperdal liquid to food of a non compliant parent? He can be quite suspicious.
My point is just that prescribing appropriate drugs is more than just knowing about warnings. It is weighing pros and cons, and the trade-offs for the particular patient with his or her particular history. No doubt there is some mindless prescribing going on out there, and it is good for us to do some research.
My husband's doctor is the head of the neurology department at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. He is a very well-respected clinician and and a world renown researcher. He is considered one of the foremost experts on the type of dementia my husband had. And he prescribed Seroquel, which was very effective in improving quality of life for my husband for nearly a decade.
Suggesting that someone drop a doctor just because they've prescribed Seroquel is a bit extreme.
http://effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/search-for-guides-reviews-and-reports/?pageaction=displayproduct&productID=1192
It covers several specific drugs, including Seroquel and Risperdal.
I mention my "la-dee-doda" doctor simply to illustrate that many, many doctors who study the issue carefully and have full medical histories on their patients do feel the potential benefits in some cases outweigh the potential risks. In treating dementia, there is no one-size-fits-all prescription.
By the way, within about 8 minutes of taking Seroquel my husband couldn't stand, either. That is why I gave it to him only after he was completely ready of bed and in the bedroom. That effect wore off in a couple of hours, and if he had to get up during the night he walked fine. If he had needed the drug in the daytime I'm sure we would have tried a much smaller dose, but as it was it worked great for its intended purpose.
Like any drug, everyone reacts differently to them and no one knows how until the medication is tried. Unfortunately it takes a combination of many different meds to help PD patients with dementia and it takes time to find the right combo. Then Their condition will change and so the meds will need changing too.
Flyaway, you can definitely crush seroquel. Extended release pills however, should never be crushed. Try applesauce or pudding. That has worked for mom for years now. However, yogurt is the one thing you don't want to give meds with. It coats the stomach and keeps the body from absorbing the full dose.
Good luck with your dad!
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