Reader Response Session

Dear Readers
I thought I'd respond to many of the questions I've received since the inception of this blog. I want to thank everyone who has responded and I hope the information I've tried to provide will prove helpful to some of you. There have been numerous questions that I would like to address this week.

Medications?
The main medication on the market today for dementia/Alzeheimer's is Aricept. The site link provides various information regarding this medication and it's side effects. The most common side-effects seem to be stomach upset, nausea, vomiting and disruption of sleep. Aricept is for the majority of users well tolerated.

My Dad has a bit of a sour stomach and he tends to burp multiple times after eating which can be in part due to the medication. However, it can also be attributed to the hardened protion of his lungs which interfer with his stomachs natural expansion when filled with food. We made this connection when we realised that his shortness of breath attacks were usually associated with his recent ingestion of a meal. This can also be attributed to his use of Prednisone.

Prednisone is used in the treatment of Emphysima and the resulting Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). It can also be an effective treatment for chronic bronchitis and asthma suffers. While the drug is widely prescribed for these illnesses it is not without consequence. Prednisone is a steroid, which while easing the ability to breath and reducing chronic coughing, can also increase restlessnes/sleeplessness, increase appetite, and indigestion.
Less common are changes in skin color (darkening or lightening), dizziness, flushing of face/cheeks, hiccups, and increased sweating. More information is available on the web with information on drug interactions, side effects, and benefits.