Experts Issue Warnings About Prescribing Multiple Medications for Dementia Patients

Local10 reports that experts are concerned about the effects of polypharmacy on dementia patients. Neurologist Damon Salzman with the Cleveland Clinic in Weston, Fla., cited evidence that people 65 and older should not simultaneously take three or more medications that target the brain or central nervous system. "The strategy that we use is to try to minimize the amount of medication that people use, especially in seniors specifically because many of these medications can have negative side effects, so it may help their depression but it may also worsen their memory," he explained. Moreover, a University of Michigan in Ann Arbor study found nearly one in seven participants were taking three or more such medications, many without good reason, despite warnings from experts.