A nurse is caring for a client who has a new prescription for risperidone to manage schizophrenia
One of the greatest challenges, when it comes to Alzheimer’s disease and
other dementias, is coping with difficult behaviors.
Show These are symptoms beyond the chronic memory/thinking problems that are the hallmark of dementia. They include problems like:
These are technically called “neuropsychiatric” symptoms, but regular people might refer to them as “acting crazy” symptoms. Or even “crazy-making” symptoms, as they do tend to drive family caregivers a bit nuts. Because these behaviors are difficult and stressful for caregivers — and often for the person with dementia — people often ask if any medications can help. The short answer is “Maybe.” A better answer is “Maybe, but there will be side-effects and other significant risks to consider, and we need to first attempt non-drug ways to manage these behaviors.” In fact, no medication is FDA-approved for the treatment of these types of behaviors in Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. (For more on the drugs that are FDA-approved to treat the cognitive symptoms of dementia, see here: 4 Medications to Treat Alzheimer’s & Other Dementias: How They Work & FAQs.) But it is VERY common for medications — especially antipsychotics — to be prescribed “off-label” for this purpose. This is sometimes described as a “chemical restraint” (as opposed to tying people to a chair, which is a “physical restraint”). In many cases, antipsychotics and other tranquilizing medications can certainly calm the behaviors. But they can have significant side-effects and risks, which are often not explained to families. Worst of all, they are often prescribed prematurely, or in excessive doses, without caregivers and doctors first putting in some time to figure out what is triggering the behavior, and what non-drug approaches might help. For this reason, in 2013 the American Geriatrics Society made the following recommendation as part of its Choosing Wisely campaign: “Don’t use antipsychotics as first choice to treat behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia.” You may now be wondering what should be the first choice. This depends on the situation, but generally, the first choice to treat difficult behaviors is NOT medication. (A possible exception: geriatricians do often consider medication to treat pain or constipation, as these are common triggers for difficult behavior.) Instead, medications should be used after non-drug management approaches have been tried, or at least in combination with non-drug approaches. (Learn about these here: 7 Steps to Managing Difficult Dementia Behaviors Safely & Without Medications.) Of course in certain situations, medication should be considered. If your family member has Alzheimer’s or another dementia, I want you to be equipped to work with the doctors on sensible, judicious use of medication to manage difficult behaviors. In this post, I’ll review the most common types of medications used to treat difficult behaviors in dementia. I’ll also explain the approach that I take with these medications. 5 Types of Medication For Difficult Behaviors in DementiaMost medications used to treat difficult behaviors fall into one of the following categories: 1.Antipsychotics. These are medications originally developed to treat schizophrenia and other illnesses featuring psychosis symptoms. (For more on psychosis, which is common in late-life, see 6 Causes of Paranoia in Aging & What to Do.) Commonly used drugs: Antipsychotics often used in older adults include:
Usual effects: Most antipsychotics are sedating, and will calm agitation or aggression through these sedating effects. Antipsychotics may also reduce true psychosis symptoms, such as delusions, hallucinations, or paranoid beliefs, but it’s rare for them to completely correct these in people with dementia. Risks of use: The risks of antipsychotics are related to how high the dose is, and include:
Evidence of clinical efficacy: Clinical trials often find a small improvement in symptoms. However, this is offset by frequent side-effects. Studies have also repeatedly found that using antipsychotics in older people with dementia is associated with a higher risk of stroke and of death. 2. Benzodiazepines. This is a category of medication that relaxes people fairly quickly. So these drugs are used for anxiety, for panic attacks, for sedation, and to treat insomnia. They can easily become habit-forming. Commonly used drugs: In older adults these include:
Usual effects: In the brain, benzodiazepines act similarly to alcohol, and they usually cause relaxation and sedation. Benzodiazepines vary in how long they last in the body: alprazolam is considered short-acting whereas diazepam is very long-acting. Risks of use: A major risk of these medications is that in people of all ages, they can easily cause both physical and psychological dependence. Additional risks that get worse in older adults include:
In older adults who take benzodiazepines regularly, there is also a risk of worsening dementia symptoms when the drug is reduced or tapered entirely off. This is because people can experience increased anxiety plus discomfort due to physical withdrawal, and this often worsens their thinking and behavior. Stopping benzodiazepines suddenly can provoke life-threatening withdrawal symptoms, so medical supervision is mandatory when reducing this type of medication. (See How You Can Help Someone Stop Ativan for more information.) Evidence of clinical efficacy: A recent review of clinical research concluded there is “limited evidence for clinical efficacy.” Although these drugs do have a noticeable effect when they are used, it’s not clear that they overall improve agitation and difficult behaviors in most people. It is also not clear that they work better than antipsychotics, for longer-term management of behavior problems. 3. Mood-stabilizers. These include medications otherwise used for seizures. They generally reduce the “excitability” of brain cells. Commonly used drugs: Valproic acid (brand name Depakote) is the most commonly used medication of this type, in older adults with dementia. It is available in short- and long-acting formulations. Usual effects: The effect varies depending on the dose and the individual. It can be sedating. Risks of use: Valproic acid requires periodic monitoring of blood levels. Even when the blood level is considered within acceptable range, side-effects in older adults are common and include:
Evidence of clinical efficacy: A review of randomized trials of valproate for agitation in dementia found no evidence of clinical efficacy, and described the rate of adverse effects as “unacceptable.” Despite this, some geriatric psychiatrists and other experts feel that valproate works well to improve behavior in certain people with dementia. 4. Anti-depressants. Many of these have anti-anxiety benefits. However, they take weeks or even months to reach their full effect on depression or anxiety symptoms. Commonly used drugs: Antidepressants often used in older people with dementia include:
Usual effects: The effects of these medications on agitation is variable. SSRIs may help some individuals, but it usually takes weeks or longer to see an effect. For some people, a sedating antidepressant at bedtime can improve sleep and this may reduce daytime irritability. Risks of use: The anti-depressants listed above are generally “well-tolerated” by older adults, especially when started at low doses and with slow increases as needed. Risks and side-effects include:
Evidence of clinical efficacy: A 2014 randomized trial found that citalopram provided a modest improvement in neuropsychiatric symptoms; however the dose used was 30mg/day, which has since been discouraged by the FDA. Otherwise, clinical studies suggest that antidepressants are not very effective for reducing agitation. 5. Dementia drugs. These are the drugs FDA-approved to treat the memory and thinking problems associated with Alzheimer’s disease. In some patients they seem to help with certain neuropsychiatric symptoms. For more on the names of these drugs and how they work, see 4 Medications to Treat Alzheimer’s & Other Dementias. Note: I am not including medications to manage dementia-related sleep disturbances in this post. You can learn more about those here: How to Manage Sleep Problems in Dementia. Practical tips on medications to manage difficult behaviors in dementiaYou may be now wondering just how doctors are supposed to manage medications for difficult dementia behaviors. Here are the key points that I usually share with families:
I admit that although studies find that non-drug methods are effective in improving dementia behaviors, it’s often challenging to implement them. For people with dementia living at home, family caregivers or paid helpers often have limited time and energy to learn and practice behavior management techniques. Despite the risks of antipsychotics, family members are often anxious to get some relief as soon as possible. As for residential facilities for people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, they vary in how well their staff are trained in non-drug approaches. What you can do about medications and difficult dementia behaviorsIf your relative with dementia is not yet taking medications for behaviors, consider these tips:
If your relative with dementia is currently taking medications for behaviors, then you will have to consider at least the following two issues. One is whether the behavior issues currently seem manageable or not. If behavior is still often very difficult, then it’s important to look into triggers and other behavioral management approaches. Ongoing agitation or difficult behaviors may also be a sign that the medication isn’t effective for your relative. So it may also be reasonable to consider a change in medication. The best is to work closely with a doctor AND a dementia behavior expert; some social workers and geriatric care managers are very good with dementia behaviors. The other issue is to make sure you are aware of any risks or side-effects that the current medications may be causing. The main side-effects I see people with dementia experience are excess drowsiness, excess confusion, and falls. These are usually due to high doses of antipsychotics and/or benzodiazepines. In such cases, it’s often possible to at least reduce the dosages somewhat. Addressing any other anticholinergic or brain-dampening medications can also help. Now should you aim to get your relative completely off antipsychotics, in order to reduce mortality risk, improve alertness and thinking, and to reduce fall risk? I have found that sometimes tapering people completely off antipsychotics is possible, but it can be a labor-intensive process. Furthermore, studies find that a certain number of people with dementia “relapse” after antipsychotics have been discontinued. Another very interesting 2016 study of antipsychotic review in nursing homes found that stopping antipsychotics tended to make behavior worse unless the nursing home also implemented “social interventions.” In other words, attempting to completely stop antipsychotic medications involves effort, may be followed by worse behavior, and is less likely to succeed if you cannot concurrently provide an increase in beneficial social contact or exercise. It is certainly worth considering, but in people who are taking more than the starter dose of antipsychotic, it can be challenging. No easy solutions but improvement IS usually possibleAs many of you know, behavior problems are difficult in dementia in large part because there is usually no easy way to fix them. Many — probably too many — older adults with Alzheimer’s and other dementias are being medicated for their behavior problems. If your family is struggling with behavior problems, I know that reading this article will not quickly solve them. But I hope this information will enable you to make more informed decisions. This way you’ll help ensure that any medications are used thoughtfully, in the lowest doses necessary, and in combination with non-drug dementia behavior management approaches. To learn about non-drug management approaches, I recommend this article: 7 Steps to Managing Difficult Dementia Behaviors (Safely & Without Medications) And if you are looking for a memory care facility, try to find out how many of their residents are being medicated for behavior. For people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, it’s best to be cared for by people who don’t turn first to chemical restraints such as antipsychotics and benzodiazepines. This article was first published in 2016, and was last updated by Dr. K in May 2022. |