Dementia Overview (cont.)

Medications

Except for the cholinesterase inhibitors, the US Food and Drug Administration(FDA) has not approved any drug specifically for dementia. The drugs listed here are some of the most frequently prescribed from each class.

• Cholinesterase inhibitors - Tacrine (Cognex), donepezil (Aricept), rivastigmine (Exelon), galantamine/galanthamine (Reminyl)
  
  
• Antidepressants/anxiolytics - Fluoxetine (Prozac), sertraline (Zoloft), paroxetine (Paxil), citalopram (Celexa)
  
  
• Antipsychotics - Haloperidol (Haldol), risperidone (Risperdal), quetiapine (Seroquel), olanzapine (zyprexa), ziprasidone (Geodon)
  
  
• Anticonvulsants - Valproic acid (Depakote), carbamazepine (Tegretol) gabapentin (Neurontin), lamotrigine (Lamictal)

All drugs cause side effects. In prescribing a drug, doctors weigh whether the benefits of the drug outweigh the side effects. Seniors are especially likely to experience drug side effects. People with dementia who are taking any of these drugs must be checked often to make sure that the side effects are tolerable.