Comments on: FDA Approves New Alzheimer’s Medication Patch

By: Nicholas V. Findler, PhD PhD

Nicholas V. Findler, PhD PhD — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 01:13:04 +0000

It would be nice to see unbiased and financially unsupported descriptions of bona fide trials. I have an open mind and am willing to try approved and positively safe medications. Furthermore, I am not ashamed (if that is the right word) of my current situation. I am still engaged in research in my fields, still speak, read and write in 10 languages…

By: Regina Hollingsworth

Regina Hollingsworth — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 22:07:32 +0000

It is interesting to me to read what Denise wrote here. I have been taking care of a man with severe dementia for several years. His primary care physician perscribes meds like they are candy, he seems especially fond of any new designer drug that hits the market. Judging from the sexy drug sales lady that came in his office the last time I was waiting for my patient in the waiting area, I guess they must buy alot of new drugs from her.
Anyway, not to get off the subject, This doctor took my patient off his aricept and put him on the exelon patch this past July. By the end of July my patient was a complete mess. He was not bathing or showering, he was going to bed fully dressed. He had a car accident, he is lucky he didn’t get hurt when he was sleep walking in the middle of the night and pulled a heavy chest over which caused all the drawers to come tumbling out on top of an antique family heirloom which was on top of the chest. There was broken glass and the contents of the drawres were strewn all over the room. He could have seriously hurt himself. Ofcourse I figured I could give him the patches each day and have him put them on himself in the mirror while he was dressing. How can a person with dementia remember to take the old patches off. He had four old patches on him at one point when I checked him.
When the samples the doctor gave us were gone, I never filled a perscription to continue them. I told the doctor he could go back on his aricept. He would have to put up with the physical side effects of the aricept compared to what the exelon patch was causing him to do.
His doctor has him on at least six different medicatios! Yes, Doctors do over perscribe and don’t think anything of it. I am the one responsible for giving this person the drugs and that is a scary thing for me.

By: Denise

Denise — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 11:42:37 +0000

My father was rpescribed Exelon at a low dose and eventually they would increase the dose…one week before the dose was to be increase he tried to slice his wrists…something he never would have done before what I am assuming Exelon had something to do with. This is not the most pleasant call I wanted to receive from my mother who found my dad with the knife to his wrist. The doctor took the patch right off. Be carefull. There are a lot of patients out there who are over medicated. I believe this could have been the case with my dad…seeing that he is on other antidepressants. I don’t believe there is enough research done on this drug.