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posted by janrinok on Wednesday March 28 2018, @06:25PM   Printer-friendly
from the I've-forgotten-what-I-was-going-to-write-here dept.

Initiating an opioid analgesic reduced the use of antipsychotics and benzodiazepines in persons with Alzheimer's disease, a recent study from the University of Eastern Finland shows. These drugs are frequently prescribed to treat behavioural and psychiatric symptoms of dementia, which can be worsened by other symptoms, such as pain. The results were published in International Psychogeriatrics.

The researchers analysed the use of antipsychotics and benzodiazepines six months before and six months after persons with Alzheimer's disease begun using an opioid. These results were then compared to persons with Alzheimer's disease who did not initiate opioid use. After the initiation of an opioid, the researchers found a downward trend in the prevalence of both antipsychotics and benzodiazepines, with the prevalence of antipsychotics reducing more.

The use of antipsychotics and benzodiazepines is very frequent in persons with Alzheimer's disease, but it carries a risk for severe adverse effects, and long-term treatment is generally not recommended. Previous studies have found a decrease in behavioural and psychiatric symptoms of dementia when patients are treated for pain, but this new study now shows, for the first time, a decrease in symptomatic drug use.


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  • (Score: 4, Informative) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Wednesday March 28 2018, @07:53PM (5 children)

    by MichaelDavidCrawford (2339) Subscriber Badge <mdcrawford@gmail.com> on Wednesday March 28 2018, @07:53PM (#659655) Homepage Journal

    I take antipsychotics. Presently I'm taking perphenazine but I've used several others.

    Zyprexa is regarded as highly effective but it can cause diabetes. I am completely unwilling to take Zyprexa voluntarily. From time to time I'm admitted involuntarily, which gives the p-doc the legal right to forcibly inject me with it.

    The last time that happened I fought like a wildcat. It took three strong men to pin me down so the doc could inject me. In the process I snapped his glasses in two.

    From time to time I experience mild Tardive Dyskenesia, an involuntary repetitious movement. In my case I repeatedly open and close my mouth. I expect most people would think I was chewing gum but my TD motion is not the same.

    There is a report of TD putting someone in a wheelchair - for life - as a result of a single Risperdal injection.

    I've met someone with quite severe TD. She repeatedly ducked down and to one side, then stood up straight again.

    The only "treatment" for Tardive Dyskenesia is to stop taking the antipsychotic that caused it. There are a limited number of antipsychotics; quite possibly one could run out then face the choice of lifelong TD or experiencing such enjoyable experiences as paranoia and hallucinations.

    Antipsychotics can also cause Akathesia - an inability to sit still.

    Many psychiatric medicines cause hand tremor [warplife.com] which in my experience is at times so severe that I cannot type on a computer keyboard.

    Such hand tremor also reveals that one is mentally ill. That happened to Lori Schiller, who has Schizophrenia. She got a job at a psychiatric hospital, where one of the staff noticed her tremor and asked whether Schiller was mentally ill.

    Many psych meds can harm the liver. Depakote - used for bipolar mania as well as brain seizures - can even destroy the livers of children or fetuses.

    Many psych medicines can destroy the kidneys.

    Once while hospitalized I was given liquid Haldol which I drank just like Coca-Cola - I was wigging so hard that the medicine had no effect. But after a few days all of my muscles locked up, resulting in my being contorted into a really strange configuration and unable to speak. Three men carried me to my room, where a nurse injected me with Cogentin. Cogentin is quite commonly prescribed in tablet form when antipsychotics are used.

    --
    Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
    Starting Score:    1  point
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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 28 2018, @08:26PM (3 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 28 2018, @08:26PM (#659668)

    what are the effects of opiates on your disease, do they increase, decrease or do no chance the occurence or the intensity of your episode of mania and psychosis ?

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 28 2018, @08:29PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 28 2018, @08:29PM (#659669)

      Aristarchus is when he doesn't take his meds.

    • (Score: 4, Interesting) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Wednesday March 28 2018, @08:36PM (1 child)

      by MichaelDavidCrawford (2339) Subscriber Badge <mdcrawford@gmail.com> on Wednesday March 28 2018, @08:36PM (#659670) Homepage Journal

      I've only taken opiates just once - codeine cough syrup for a bad cold.

      That was before I was aware I was mentally ill.

      I at first had very little insight into my condition. That resulted in my being unaware when my moods or thoughts were altered due to my mental illness.

      A key step in my progress was my development of such insight.

      --
      Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 28 2018, @09:49PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 28 2018, @09:49PM (#659704)

        thank you for the honest awnse .

  • (Score: 2) by choose another one on Thursday March 29 2018, @08:39AM

    by choose another one (515) Subscriber Badge on Thursday March 29 2018, @08:39AM (#659888)

    _every_ drug has side effects - in at least some people, we're all different.

    Few people read the package inserts for every med they take (maybe just you and me), if you do you'll often find side effects lists run to pages long, and even then you can get serious side effects that are to rare to be listed - when BP drugs left me unable to walk properly that wasn't listed, I could find a handful of case reports of _exactly_ that side effect online once I knew what I was looking for.

    Some drugs are even described as side-effect-free or low-side-effect because the adverse effects (better term) are "by design" - warfarin is a great one to be on. Nearly 1% risk per patient year (work it out when you're on it for rest of your life...) of dying of bleeding or bleeding into the brain until you are a vegetable - but because it's _supposed_ to stop you clotting many/most docs don't even view that as a side effect. Also calcifies your arteries (not a bright idea when that's where you've clotted) by making you vit k deficient, but that isn't a side effect either because it's _designed_ to make you vit k deficient.

    It is always a question of balancing desired effect against adverse effects, for every drug and for you as an individual. Trouble is once you are sectioned / admitted involuntarily / whatever it's called where you are, then that balance decision is in the hands of the doctor, not you, and you have to hope that the doctor has your best interests in mind rather than their interests in just keeping you quiet and compliant. Good luck with that.