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Alzheimer's and Dementia Counseling and Education: call Cindy Keith of M.I.N.D. in Memory Care at (814)-235-0691, or e-mail at keithc@mindinmemorycare.com
Moving In Nurturing Directions
in Memory Care
Dementia Information
Thursday, November 10, 2011
DEMENTIA DRUGS INTERACTING WITH MANY COMMON MEDS
I recently had an article printed in the Alzheimer's Reading Room (great source for information at www.alzheimersreadingroom.com) where I discuss how many commonly used medications will interact with and work against the anti-dementia meds in the cholinesterase inhibitor class (Aricept, Exelon, and Razadyne). There is a classification of drugs called "anticholinergics" that will essentially cancel out the intended therapeutic effects of both drugs when given together. These anticholinergics are found in many types of medications. Here are a few:
The other drug classification used for dementia is the NMDA receptor antagonist and that is Namenda. It works in a totally different way than the cholinesterase inhibitors, so it is not affected by these other drugs.
- Antispasmodics, such as Levsin, Donnatal, Bentyl
- Bronchodilators such as Atrovent and Spiriva
- Antiemetics such as Dramamine, Bonine and Antivert
- Antiparkinson drugs such as Kemadrin, Artane, Cogentin
- Sleep aides such as Sominex, Nytol, Unisom
- Cough and cold preparations that contain diphendydramine
- Atropine which is found in some heart medications and eye drops
- Urinary incontinence meds such as Ditropan, Toviaz, Vesicare and Detrol
The other drug classification used for dementia is the NMDA receptor antagonist and that is Namenda. It works in a totally different way than the cholinesterase inhibitors, so it is not affected by these other drugs.
posted by Cindy Keith # 4:01 PM
Tuesday, November 08, 2011
BILINGUALISM DELAYS ALZHEIMER'S ONSET
I have seen several research articles lately that discuss new evidence that bilingualism is thought to delay the onset of Alzheimer's symptoms. In Medical News Today (http://www.edicalnewstoday.com/releases/235998.php) in mid-October, researchers at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto found huge differences in the brains of bilingual people as opposed to unilingual people. They found twice as much damage in the bilingual brains and despite the fact that both groups were similar in levels of education and cognitive skills, the bilingual people's brains seemed to be able to handle twice the level of atrophy without displaying twice the level of decline. Dr. Tom Schweizer, who headed the research, feels that the constant switching over in the brain from one language to another enhances the creation of more neuronal networks. In this study, they examined CT scans of patients with AD, and he hopes to repeat the study with a larger patient sample and by using MRIs to observe brain changes. He mentions in the article that previous studies through observation found that bilingualism seemed to delay onset of the AD symptoms by about five years, but that this is the first study to actually find the physical proof in the CT scans of the damage and delay.
I keep thinking how nice it would be to be able to speak Spanish, and now I'm thinking I ought to move forward on this and get started!
I keep thinking how nice it would be to be able to speak Spanish, and now I'm thinking I ought to move forward on this and get started!
Labels: Alzheimer's, bilingualism, neuronal networks
posted by Cindy Keith # 11:58 AM
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Cindy Keith, RN, BS,
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