Caregiver suggests trying a drug-free approach to Alzheimer's

There are currently 5.3 million Americans living with Alzheimer's and around 10.9 million loved ones who are attending to them. This is often an enormous responsibility, but caregivers have learned to persevere.


Carol Wright recently shared her own experiences caring for her mother with The Moderate Voice and recommended one approach to Alzheimer's patients that not many advocate - going drug-free.


The problem with many medications is that they can cause side effects that can either be worse than dementia or worsen some symptoms of the condition.

These include paranoia and hallucinations, as well as memory loss.


Wright recommends that caregivers consult a doctor so that they conduct a reassessment of all the medications that the patient is taking. She suggests that, by gradually phasing out drugs that may be harmful, families may discover that the condition is much less severe than originally thought.


For example, she says that when she stopped giving her mother Zoloft, there was a distinct improvement in her concentration. She became so alert that she started reading the National Enquirer and was engaged in television programs again.


The trick is to not completely halt medical treatment for Alzheimer's, but to deduce what drugs may be doing more harm than good.


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