Your doctor may prescribe medications to treat other signs and symptoms associated with Lewy body dementia, such as sleep or movement problems. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits.You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits.You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. In some cases, "alternative treatments should be considered where possible, such as other types of antidepressants or alternative types of treatment for bladder conditions," she said.Coupland added that, "we found a greater risk for people diagnosed with dementia before the age of 80, which indicates that anticholinergic drugs should be prescribed with caution in middle-aged people as well as in older people."Dr. IMPORTANT! Gayatrii Devi is a neurologist specializing in memory disorders at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. All the patients were 55 and older. In a 2015 report, the Government and Accountability Office (GAO) found that in 2012, 14 percent of dementia patients living independently and 33 percent of dementia patients in nursing homes were prescribed antipsychotic drugs. Medications: Some Drugs Make Dementia Worse. But a new study suggests stronger forms of these drugs may increase the risk of dementia in older patients.These medicines include everything from milder medicines such as Benadryl (diphenhydramine) to more potent medicines, such as certain antipsychotics and Parkinson's meds. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply.

MONDAY, June 24, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Doctors often prescribe anticholinergic drugs for a variety of ills.

They're used to treat a wide range of other conditions, including depression, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, overactive bladder, allergies, and gastrointestinal disorders.Anticholinergic drugs help contract and relax muscles, and work by blocking acetylcholine, a chemical that transmits messages in the nervous system.But the new British study found that people aged 55 and older who took strong anticholinergic medications daily for three years or more had a 50% increased risk of dementia.

Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits.You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that empowers people to choose how they live as they age.You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Between 2011 and 2017, according to CMS, extended-stay nursing facilities reduced their use of antipsychotic drugs among But AARP’s PPI analysis of patient data from 2012 to 2015 shows that the number of dementia patients living in their communities and using antipsychotics increased from 12.6 percent to 13.4 percent — a 6 percent jump. Elderly adults with dementia are also more Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits.You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Drugs To Avoid in Patients with Dementia Elderly people with dementia often tolerate drugs less favorably than healthy older adults. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits.You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again. Drugs.com provides accurate and independent information on more than 24,000 prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines and natural products. The GAO acknowledged that its resources to gauge antipsychotic drug use by dementia patients in home settings were limited and recommended further study and outreach among this population.“The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services [CMS] can create quality measures that require facilities to track the use of antipsychotic drugs, which is one way to encourage decreased use,” Carter says.