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Suggest Treatment For Frequent Agitation While Having Dementia
Question: what is best anti agitation meds for seniors with possible dementiahospital put him on zyprexa, haldol, adavan, depakote and seroquel which produced hospital induced delirium
reason in hospital is cellulitus, has had many episodes of this and few if any anti biotics have seemed to help. Very swollen red and tender feet going up leg. has been given levquin, vancomycin, cephasexin, and recently zosyn. Good lord they cannot seem to get this under control.
reason in hospital is cellulitus, has had many episodes of this and few if any anti biotics have seemed to help. Very swollen red and tender feet going up leg. has been given levquin, vancomycin, cephasexin, and recently zosyn. Good lord they cannot seem to get this under control.
Brief Answer:
antipsychotics are the most efficient choices
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
agitation is very common to individuals with dementia, when hospitalized or having a fever. Drugs like zyprexa, haldol and seroquel are the first options to treat aggressive patients (mostly to prevent self-induced injury, falls, etc). Immobilization to the bed might be necessary sometimes.
Adavan may sometimes cause agitation itself, so it's not the first option usually unless alcohol withdrawal is the cause. Depakote is used for epilepsy. Was the patient drinking too much alcohol before being hospitalized. If this is the case then this regimen with antipsychotics, anti-seizure and benzodiazepine sounds OK to me. If the patient was just agitated due to dementia then the antipsychotics should have been enough.
I hope it helps!
Kind Regards!
antipsychotics are the most efficient choices
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
agitation is very common to individuals with dementia, when hospitalized or having a fever. Drugs like zyprexa, haldol and seroquel are the first options to treat aggressive patients (mostly to prevent self-induced injury, falls, etc). Immobilization to the bed might be necessary sometimes.
Adavan may sometimes cause agitation itself, so it's not the first option usually unless alcohol withdrawal is the cause. Depakote is used for epilepsy. Was the patient drinking too much alcohol before being hospitalized. If this is the case then this regimen with antipsychotics, anti-seizure and benzodiazepine sounds OK to me. If the patient was just agitated due to dementia then the antipsychotics should have been enough.
I hope it helps!
Kind Regards!
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Not sure, but they think he may have dementia, we don't really have a baseline since he lived alone and did not see any of us on a regular basis. He was a real loner. They are weaning him off seroquel and proposing to start a small dose of Haldol, maybe 50 mg to see how he reacts. We think he used to drink quite a bit a long time ago, but not doing so over the last few years. There seems to be no real way to determine if it is dementia, maybe a long questionaire, but he seems very forgetful now, which did not use to be the case. These heavy duty drugs may have pushed him over the edge, so he is headed for a SNF. Any further advice given these facts?
It is a great help to have an independent opinion to compare with the Hospitalist.
XXXX
It is a great help to have an independent opinion to compare with the Hospitalist.
XXXX
Brief Answer:
it's dementia...
Detailed Answer:
Even if there's no baseline test to compare with, dementia will make a hospitalized patient become aggressive, combative, agitated, confused, etc. It's very common for such patients to talk strangely or to believe that they're at home or anywhere else besides the hospital, to say irrational things and even distinguish between night and day! I'm sure the doctors did not prescribe those drugs without a reason. The drugs may make the patient sleepy and slow down his mind but they won't make him loose his mind.
When his acute disorder gets better (cellulitis) dementia symptoms may be reduced to simple forgetfulness and perhaps some bizarre talking every so often. Nobody can tell right now. When he bets better you (and the doctors) will see what happens.
Kind Regards!
it's dementia...
Detailed Answer:
Even if there's no baseline test to compare with, dementia will make a hospitalized patient become aggressive, combative, agitated, confused, etc. It's very common for such patients to talk strangely or to believe that they're at home or anywhere else besides the hospital, to say irrational things and even distinguish between night and day! I'm sure the doctors did not prescribe those drugs without a reason. The drugs may make the patient sleepy and slow down his mind but they won't make him loose his mind.
When his acute disorder gets better (cellulitis) dementia symptoms may be reduced to simple forgetfulness and perhaps some bizarre talking every so often. Nobody can tell right now. When he bets better you (and the doctors) will see what happens.
Kind Regards!
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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