Antipsychotic drugs and Alzheimer's disease are a dangerous mix
Short Term Solution
Millions of Alzheimer’s patients in assisted living facilities have been given antipsychotic drugs, with little or no evidence to support such use, according to Dr. P. Murali Doraiswamy of Duke University.
Dr. Doraiswamy, a dementia specialist, made this statement during a HealthDay News interview discussing a new study about the effects of antipsychotic drugs on Alzheimer’s patients. And sadly, we can read between the lines: Powerful drugs are often forced on unruly AD patients to calm them quickly.
If you or someone you care about has Alzheimer’s disease (AD) – whether they’re being cared for at home or in a special facility – please keep reading for an important caution.
Lives in the balance
“It’s an eye-opening study since it was one of the few non-company sponsored studies to look at long-term risks,” Dr. Doraiswamy told HealthDay.
That’s the kind of recommendation we like to see.
To test the effect antipsychotic drugs might have on mortality risk, researchers at the Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases at King’s College London recruited 165 AD patients who lived in assisted care facilities. Each of these patients was regularly taking at least one of five antipsychotic drugs.
Subjects were randomly divided into two groups: Half continued taking their drugs, and half switched to a placebo.
In a recent issue of The Lancet Neurology, the Wolfson team notes a reduction in survival time in the subjects who continued to receive antipsychotics for one year, compared to placebo.
Surviving subjects were followed for an addition two years. The authors write that there was “a significantly increased risk of mortality for patients who were allocated to continue antipsychotic treatment compared with those allocated to placebo.”
Fragrant balm
As Dr. Doraiswamy told HealthDay News, there’s a place for antipsychotic drugs as a measure of last resort in patients who exhibit dangerous behavior. “But only for the shortest possible time at the lowest possible dose.”
The Wolfson team makes the same point, adding that the increase in mortality emphasizes “the need to seek less harmful alternatives for the long-term treatment of neuropsychiatric symptoms in these patients.”
Less harmful alternatives? Well, botanical extracts might not have much affect on an aggressively dangerous AD patient, but they might work wonders for mild-to-moderately agitated patients.
Researchers at the Medical Plant Research Centre (MPRC) in the UK have studied a wide variety of botanicals in the treatment of Alzheimer’s. In 2004, MPRC professor Elaine Perry presented data that showed sage to have a significant effect on behavior and attention. And when lemon balm was added to sage, the combination improved memory and mood.
Professor Perry told Reuters Health: “Lemon balm reduced agitation and improved quality of life in people with Alzheimer’s disease.”
Talk to your doctor before using botanical extracts. And for best results, consult an experienced herbalist.
Sources:
“The Dementia Antipsychotic Withdrawal Trial (DART-AD): Long-Term Follow-Up of a Randomised Placebo-Controlled Trial” The Lancet Neurology, Vol. 8, No. 2, February 2009, sciencedirect.com
“Antipsychotics Up Death Risk in Alzheimer’s Patients” Steven Reinberg, HealthDay News, 1/9/09, washingtonpost.com
“Plant Extracts May Ease Dementia Symptoms” Reuters Health, 3/5/04, reutershealth.com
