DALLAS: A recent effort has been made to reduce and even eliminate the use of antipsychotic drugs on older Americans suffering from dementia.
“Antipsychotics have been around since the 1940s and are used for psychotic conditions like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder but have also been used on patients with various forms of dementia like Alzheimer’s disease,” said Dr. Gerard Gallucci, medical director of Delaware Department of Health and Social Services.
Using medication intended for those with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder on individuals may seem like a strange tactic but it’s not the dementia itself the antipsychotics are targeting, it’s the behavioral problems that accompany dementia.
Even though memory loss is most commonly associated with dementia, other symptoms of the disease include changes in mood or personality, loss of communication, agitation or aggression.
These behavioral symptoms can become challenging for professional and familial caregivers.
“What has been happening over the years is doctors have seen the benefits of the sedative properties of antipsychotics which can make dementia patients calmer and less aggressive but the drugs aren’t helping their medical condition at all,” Mr. Gallucci said. “It’s making them easier to handle and care for and not improving their quality of life at all.”
Although antipsychotics may be an effective method to regulate behavioral symptoms, they have never been approved by the Federal Drug Administration for use on dementia patients. The drugs even carry a FDA-mandated boxed warning stating that they are associated with an increased risk of death when used to treat older adults with dementia-related psychosis.
“Antipsychotics can have all kinds of adverse effects, especially on older individuals with dementia like weight gain, an increased risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and falls –– problems this demographic faces without the added risk from prescription drugs,” Dr. Gallucci said. “And it’s a big problem that these drugs are commonly used on dementia patients in longterm care facilities across the country.”