Do Alzheimers disease medications make a worthwhile difference?
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) medications can slow the progression of AD and sometimes are associated with actual improvement in thinking, memory and behaviors. However, some Alzheimer’s disease sufferers do not benefit from or may not tolerate cholinesterase inhibitors or memantine. In other patients, the benefit may be slight or only recognized when discontinuation of an effective medication leads to more rapid progression of the underlying AD. Antidepressants, antipsychotics and anticonvulsants may be very helpful in alleviating distressing disorders that can accompany and complicate treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. There is concern that antipsychotic drugs may increase the risk of death when used in people with AD.
