Dementia and Medications: Mood Stabilizers, Antidepressants, Antipsychotics
Antidepressant medication makes sense when you think about what is going on in the brain of a person living with dementia. In fact, some of the studies I referenced found that antidepressants alone, and antidepressants combined with meds like donepezil, were more effective than antipsychotics in controlling difficult behaviors like agitation. On the other hand, antipsychotic medications were developed to address behaviors (like hallucinations and delusions) in people diagnosed with schizophrenia. These medications are not to be used lightly. This is why I promote non-drug approaches to behavior as much as possible.
