Are anti-psychotics the only medical treatment for delusions in the elderly?

Just FYI, this thread is four years old.

I have had success with low dose of Xanax only given when needed..

Thanks Marie16 ...I agree on the vitamins too. I give my mother a multi, fish oil, tumeric, CoQ10, Collegen and a glucosamine triple complex..but not at the same time. However I do give mom the multi and tumeric at night so that they will have a greater effect as her body is in its restorative state. Love the palm oil idea...will see if she likes it..

I also covered all of the mirrors, she thought she was seeing her mother.

Smileboss' advice is correct. For my mom it was a vitamin B12, and Folic Acid, B complex, and D3 deficiencies. I also gave her MTC oil (palm oil) . The vitamins helped with the seeing things and the palm oil helped with her cognition. PS 100% Coconut oil can also work in place of MCT Palm Oil.

Gma was checked for uti - all clear. She does non-stop talking in the mornings until about 7 am.

Please before you give her anything else...check to see if these delusions are caused by an infection. She may have a UTI (urinary tract infection) or the start of another infection. My mother experienced delusions. She kept me up all night screaming, insisting someone was in the house robbing us etc..even calling 911 when I was out and holding on to a pair of scissors because she believed someone was out to get her. Later we discovered her delusions were from an infection all right...she developed pneumonia...Have her checked out, please. Docs love giving out meds and then it turns out its for the wrong reason and can do more harm than good.

My mom is fine, no Alzheimer's, reads books, does puzzles...just back to her normal self....Hope this helps..

Hmmm. Truly I don't know. But... I found something, after extensive research - a drug... an anti-psychotic/anti-anxiety med - that works for me and doesn't have many side effects at all. Hydroxyzine.

Beyond giving you the name of, what I believe is, a good choice for an anti-psychotic/anti-anxiety drug available, I agree with cirnraff. Dial down the dose to where GM is not tortured by her "symptoms" and hopefully also not showing new, traumatic signs of side effects. Sometimes, even if an Rx pill comes in a minimal milligram dosage, cutting it in half or quarters is better for the individual. Good luck!

Some elderly people are very sensitive to drugs as they age and what usually is a "normal" dose age can be too much for them. Please discuss this issue w/ the doctor who is prescribing the anti psychotic medicine about this matter. Maybe an adjustment in dose age is required. Speak up w/ your observations and concerns about your grandmother's behavior.