Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia; up to 250,00 people are diagnosed each year. Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative brain disorder leading to loss of memory, intellect, judgment, orientation, and speech. Patients can wander, become irritable or hostile, and experience changes in personality. Depression and anxiety is common. Patients eventually reach a “failure to thrive” level, resulting in death. There is no cure for this disease.
Drugs for alzheimer'disease-
The goal of Alzheimer drug therapy is to maintain cognitive function and alertness for as long as possible, it dose not alter the disease’s progression. Most of these drugs are used for mild symptoms early in disease progression but will not work once severe memory and functional loss has occurred. These drugs work by inhibiting enzymes that break down acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter thought to be deficient in early Alzheimer’s disease.
Antidepressants can be used for depression, and benzodiazepines can be used for anxiety and sleep problems, later in the disease. Antipsychotics like haloperidol may be used to treat hallucinations.
common side effect-
Common side effects include nausea, vomiting, agitation, rash, loss of appetite, weight loss, and confusion.
Doses are started low and then slowly increased.
Tacrine (Cognex) is broken down in the liver by cytochrome P-450 system, an enzyme system that works to eliminate drugs; can interfere with many other drugs; taken on an empty stomach – four times a day.
Donepezil (Aricept) can interact with NSAIDs, theophylline, and nicotine; should be avoided by patients with cardiac disease, liver problems, or Parkinson’s disease.
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