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Caring for Vascular Dementia

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TEEPA SNOW CARE VIDEO: Vascular dementia poses unique challenges to caregivers. Learn how vascular dementia differs from Alzheimer's. See how to make life better, both for you and the one for whom you care. (Video)
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Jo Ann Parrish Bennett
Jo Ann Parrish Bennett
December 3, 2014 3:36 am

Should someone diagnosed with vascular dementia take aricept or namenda? thank you.

AlzWeekly.com
AlzWeekly.com
Reply to  Jo Ann Parrish Bennett
December 3, 2014 5:45 pm

That is a question for your doctor.

According to the NHS, "these medications are not as effective for vascular dementia as they are for Alzheimer's disease."

In order to have an intelligent conversation with your doctor about this subject, you may want to watch a highly informative video on this site called:

What Happens in the Alzheimer's / Vascular Dementia Mix?

You can search for it in the SEARCH box for this site or go to the following link:
http://www.alzheimersweekly.com/2012/11/what-happens-in-alzheimers-vascular.html

Hope this helps.

Jo Ann Parrish Bennett
Jo Ann Parrish Bennett
Reply to  Jo Ann Parrish Bennett
December 5, 2014 3:46 am

Thank you for your response. My husband was diagnosed a couple years ago with vascular dementia and he went on 5 mg generic aricept, then increased to 10mg. He could take 10 at one time because it upset his stomach and the patch caused rashes,, so was taking 5 in the am and 5 in the pm. the pm caused severe night sweats according to the pharmicist. A new neurologist that we are going to now took him off it and his night sweats stopped after two weeks. Doc wanted to put him on namenda and i asked him how are the two meds alike and he said similar so i asked why give it to him and he said honestly, it won't make any difference if you do or don't give namenda to him………..It has been about four weeks now and i notice changes in my husband's memory…….what can you say to this, please. I will to the the website you mentioned.

AlzWeekly.com
AlzWeekly.com
December 9, 2014 10:51 am

Here is some information that may be helpful on someone else's website:

What Are the Benefits of Aricept Vs. Namenda?

http://www.ehow.com/facts_5591566_benefits-aricept-vs_-namenda_.html

Lizroxy24
Lizroxy24
December 18, 2014 7:18 pm

I recently found a great article from the Association of Geriatric Psychiatry that talks in depth about the current treatments but also about neurologically what the target is. Aricept/ Exelon (donezapril) try and keep acetylcholine in the brain longer because Alzheimer's tends to start in the area of the brain that produces this chemical. In Vascular disease this is unlikely to be the underlying problem (Vascular disease can happen in any part of the brain, not necessarily in the areas producing acetylcholine. Namenda (mementine) works in a different way protecting healthy cells from toxic cascades of Glutimate (a neurotransmitter) that are released when damaged brain cells die. That is why it is used when cells are starting to die from Alzheimer's to hopefully reduce collateral damage but neither drug target the underlying Alzheimer's pathology. It may be worthwhile to discuss using Namenda with vascular disease but initial studies have not shown to be very effective.
http://www.aagponline.org/index.php?src=news&submenu=Tools_Resources&srctype=detail&category=Position%20Statement&refno=35

Gary
Gary
June 27, 2016 10:30 am

How do you deal with mom not wanting to live where she lives, same place for years, do you correct or just agree. Should you ever tell the truth or. Ignore

Anonymous
Anonymous
Reply to  Gary
January 31, 2019 2:55 pm

We took care of two Alzheimer's parents and my 102 year old blind daddy who was sharp to the end. All three talked about going home. It really means "I want to go back the way I used to be". I never lied, but I did re-direct or just agreed that I too wished things were like they used to be. It does no good to argue about this IMHO.

Dona
Dona
August 23, 2017 1:19 am

I take care of both in laws and FIL has vascular dementia and my MIL has regular dementia and I can tell the difference

kathy
kathy
May 4, 2018 6:04 pm

Hello, my husband Rip.💖 passed away 2/8/18 he was diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus, 2914, and vp shunt inserted into the brain and stomach, plus was diagnosed with vascular dementia, and Bypolar too 😕, sometimes he would cry, get agitated, yell at me, get violent, he was diabetic, and had heart trouble, too high blood pressure, he died in Hospice care, had 100% blockage replaced his stent on the left side, he already had 3 of them in 2009, had a stroke in 2012, not treated properly, we were married 51 yrs, sometimes he said i want a divorce 😢 was this normal behavior? He had a silent heart attack 1/29/18 no pain at all, plus he was in and out of 5 nursing homes, I took him home, he blamed me for being in them, but it was drs. Put him there, i was his full time caregiver, Please i never understood his behavior, he was in diapers too. All he good do was brush his teeth, i done everything else, for him. I need answers. Thanks.

AlzWeekly.com
AlzWeekly.com
Reply to  kathy
May 6, 2018 8:43 pm

Dr. Peter Rabins, author of what is probably the most famous book on dementia, called "The 36 Hour Day", has a video (with transcript) you may find helpful. It is at the following link:
6 Ways to Stop Guilt from Dementia Care

Hope this helps.

kathy
kathy
May 4, 2018 6:08 pm

Oops 2014, diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus, brain surgery he had.

Maxine asher
Maxine asher
Reply to  kathy
January 31, 2019 3:25 pm

Please , please find an dementia support group .i know it's after the fact but you need to hear and share with other people. That are now going thru some of the same things education in this disease is paramount. And some. Things just can't be explained. You need to forgive your self for what you didn't know.

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P. Berger

This site was inspired by my Mom’s autoimmune dementia.

It is a place where we separate out the wheat from the chafe, the important articles & videos from each week’s river of news. Google gets a new post on Alzheimer’s or dementia every 7 minutes. That can overwhelm anyone looking for help. This site filters out, focuses on and offers only the best information. it has helped hundreds of thousands of people since it debuted in 2007. Thanks to our many subscribers for your supportive feedback.

The site is dedicated to all those preserving the dignity of the community of people living with dementia.

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This site was inspired by my Mom’s autoimmune dementia.

It is a place where we separate out the wheat from the chafe, the important articles & videos from each week’s river of news. Google gets a new post on Alzheimer’s or dementia every 7 minutes. That can overwhelm anyone looking for help. This site filters out, focuses on and offers only the best information. it has helped hundreds of thousands of people since it debuted in 2007. Thanks to our many subscribers for your supportive feedback.

The site is dedicated to all those preserving the dignity of the community of people living with dementia.

Peter Berger, Editor

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This site was inspired by my Mom’s autoimmune dementia.

It is a place where we separate out the wheat from the chafe, the important articles & videos from each week’s river of news. Google gets a new post on Alzheimer’s or dementia every 7 minutes. That can overwhelm anyone looking for help. This site filters out, focuses on and offers only the best information. it has helped hundreds of thousands of people since it debuted in 2007. Thanks to our many subscribers for your supportive feedback.

The site is dedicated to all those preserving the dignity of the community of people living with dementia.

Peter Berger, Editor

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