I do not know why everything seems so difficult with my Gerontologist but he took my Mom off Remeron and Celexa and put her on .25 Ativan twice a day. She does not sleep well so I asked for something, he called the pharmacy and told them to give me Remeron WHICH HE HAD JUST TAKEN HER OFF OF!
I called his office this morning and spoke to the office manager telling her what had happened last night. I just received a call from the office manager telling me, the doctor was calling in Trazodone, he had FORGOTTEN that he had just removed her from the Remeron. I read up on TRAZODONE and it causes irregular heart beats which my Mom already has and is on medication to keep under control. It also messes up her Coumadin/Warfarin and blood thinning.
I called them back immediately and they said, "Well if her Cardiologist says NO to the Trazodone, then all I can tell you is to go to the store and purchase Melotonin 3 or 5 mg and try that. This is all we can do!"
I am shocked and appalled by the way this doctor is treating us. It feels like he just doesn't care. Now we have to start another search for a doctor? I just don't get it, they are a company called SAGE and supposedly deal with Dementia and Alzheimer's patients pretty much exclusively!
Has anyone else used Trazodone or Melatonin for their parent with dementia or Alzheimer's. Any problems?
I am just sick to my stomach over this! I feel like laying in the floor crying, because it took us so long to find this Gerontologist and now it seems I have to start again. I am physically ill!!!
All antidepressants also have some prolongation of the Q-T segment. Again in Mom's case the combination we gave actually made her A-Fib almost undetectable. I'm not saying you will see the same results, but you should talk things over and get both MD's on the same page, or dump one of them.
Melatonin is milder and more natural, but may not be as effective.
We thought all her getting up to use the bathroom might mean a UTI but that test was negative. We then guessed that every time she woke up she thought it was because she needed to use the bathroom and she'd call us. She is becoming very unaware of how it feels to need to go and then forgets she already went. Her doctor prescribed Detrol for overactive bladder but I was skeptical about it since my son was taking for a time and hated it. He said he still felt the need to go but couldn't. That would make my mother in law worse! I then saw that people with MG shouldn't take it. She's in remission after having MG so we decided not to give it to her. Then he told us to get her Melatonin and try that. We gave her 10mg last night and she only woke up once to use the bathroom and seems to be clearer this morning than she has in the two months she's been with us! I also feel so much better getting more than 2 hours of sleep before her bell rings at night.
I'm not sure how long this will last and I'm keeping my fingers crossed. My son has autism and we used it for him when he was younger and its effectiveness seems to wear off after a while. It's harmless so I would definitely try it before the Trazodone. My husband has been taking it for some time to control RLS and for pain and he's trying to wean himself off of it.
But trazodone may be suitable choice. My mother (93, with dementia) is now taking it. It is too early to tell how effective it will be. We increased the dose tonight. The thing is, just about anything available is going to be a trial-and-error experience. Drugs don't work the same for everyone, and elderly and those with dementia seem to have more varied reactions than younger people.
Melatonin is generally safe and is recommended for a wide range of sleep problems. It is worth trying. Just know that it isn't always effective for everyone.
Just about any drug you read up on will scare you. Realize that sleep deprivation is scary, too. Sometimes it is a matter of weighing the risks and benefits and choosing the lesser evil.
For an interesting article comparing sleeping aids, type in Sleeping Pills, New and Old in a Google search, and select the article by Psych Central Professional.
Good luck with resolving your issues with the doctor who can't remember what drugs his patients are taking ...
We managed to get Mom into see a very well know researcher in CA who works with Alz, Dementia, Anxiety, Depression and many others. He put her on 2 medications and one of them was Prozac and I thought he was crazy, but my Mom is doing so much better, it is unbelievable. I have now gone to him for Panic and Anxiety.
Here are a few articles and questions that have already been answered in the community that may help your caregiving question.
https://www.agingcare.com/questions/experience-with-trazadone-for-helping-with-sleep-for-their-parent-165076.htm
https://www.agingcare.com/News/aging-eyes-and-sleep-disruption-147833.htm
https://www.agingcare.com/questions/sleep-aid-for-dementia-patient-143055.htm
Hope this helps.
Best Regards,
Ashley T.
The AgingCare.com Team