The Effects Of Dementia
Nausea, Insomnia, Tremors, Dizziness and Fatigue are some of the common side effects that medications come about with. One may discern while staring at medication bottle: is it pure irony that I will feel worse with something that should better my health? We are all seeking a sort of relief from our pains, but what to do at instances where medication alone is not enough? Health problems in totality are a hassle, however, due to the increment of people diagnosed with mental illnesses throughout the years it is important to analyze if these patients are being prescribed properly. Psychiatric prescribed drugs are beneficial to the mental ill to a certain extent, however, the long term support of these medications intensifies mental conditions
…show more content…
and brings about new health concerns.
Amongst the numerous mental illnesses that exist, a significant disorder is affecting many people: depression. Antidepressant medications are set to be used because of a chemical imbalance. According to many researchers low levels of serotonin cause depression, anti-depressants supposedly are set to increase serotonin levels, and bring the patient back to a normal condition. However, many specialists suggest that this conclusion is not true at all. An article by University of Tennessee College of Medicine, titled: “Pharmacologic management of adult depression” states that there is no test that can measure the amount of serotonin in the living brain. If the professionals can’t really determine a concise matter to determine normal levels of serotonin, why are patients taking serotonin inhibitors if the chemical imbalance theory is not one hundred percent true? An article posted by the Brown University Geriatric Psychopharmacology department in regards to Citalopram (known as Celexa) states the following “experiments have shown that lowering people’s serotonin levels doesn’t always lower mood, nor does it worsen symptoms in people who are already depressed.” The article continues to state that antidepressants raise serotonin levels within hours, but that it takes weeks before medication is able to relieve depression. In conclusion, if anti-depressants were indeed effective to treat chemical imbalances there would be no such lag in the patient.
As a result of anti depressants not working properly in many patients, doctors instead of viewing alternatives continue to prescribe higher dosage of these Drugs. Many professional doctors have the logic in mind that this might bring upon a better result. The truth of the matter is that this only worsens the condition. For example, Constance Zigouras, who resides in New York City, was asked the following questions in an interview in regards to her depression diagnosis a couple of years ago:
Question: When were you diagnosed with depression and why?
Constance: I was diagnosed with depression thirty years ago right after my mother died of pressure ulcers.
Question: Where you prescribed any drugs by the psychiatrist?
Constance: Without a doubt! I was prescribed, Zoloft, and Celexa
Question: Did you feel any better after taking the medication?
Constance: Well I won’t lie, I did feel better for approximately 6 months, I was prescribed 20mg of Celexa. After that I began feeling super irritated, I began to have constant insomnia and then was prescribed 40mg of Celexa. I felt better again, a year passed by and Celexa stopped working in my system I would not sleep at all, had a lot of heart palpitations, constantly tired and irritated beyond belief. I went to my doctor and instead of prescribing me a lower dosage I was put onto 200 mgs of Zoloft.
Question: While you were on the 200 mgs of Zoloft did you feel any better?
Constance: Absolutely not! I started hearing noises and I was always sleeping. I became a very paranoid person, and decided by myself to do a very dangerous decision: get off antidepressants without medical supervision
Question: How did you feel afterwards?
Constance: I went in withdrawal stage, had a fever, nausea, diarrhea, you name it! My melancholy is still there though; I can say that I have learned to cope with my sadness by myself. These antidepressants have left me with insomnia and paranoia, I am nothing close to what I used to be, these meds really took a great part of me.
Many patients can definitely relate with Constance, the human brain is complex mechanism however very delicate. Without a doubt a patient should become more informed about alternatives that do not include solely pharmaceuticals. Also it is of high priority that when one visits their medical practitioner to ask questions, these professionals have a more thorough understanding of the brain functions and can definitely help you find a drug-free alternative. Anti-depressant drugs can help to an extent however putting trust to chemicals that aren’t natural logically will affect the brain. These medications due to the amount of chemicals used literally change the brain making the “side effects” totally out weight the cure. Another mental condition that has many people suffering is dementia.
Dementia affects more than five million Americans. This illness affects the brain in totality, as we age it our brain begins to deteriorate. Our brain works like a network, nerve cells are designed to make contact with other nerve cells through dendrites, thus, creating a network. This is how messages are passed throughout the whole brain. Dementia occurs when there is an obstruction of plaque and tangles in the brain. Key protein’s that are affected by dementia are called: Amyloid and Tau. Amyloid is produced when the Amyloid precursor protein is degraded, in healthy cells Amyloid is removed, however during Alzheimer’s disease (type of Dementia) Amyloid is accumulated outside of the cells making plaque. Scientists think that Amyloid is toxic to cells. Another structure responsible for Dementia is called Tau. Tau transports nutrients among the cell. However, during dementia, Tau produces much more proteins causing tangles throughout the cell and disrupting all nutrient formation and transport, basically strangling the cell. There is no known cure for any type of dementia, medication prescribed to patients do not stop the progressive nature of dementia. If medications like Exelon, Aricept, Reminyl won’t cure the patient why should caregivers keep on prescribing drugs that won’t help the patient at all. The American Geriatrics Society, states that “It is not clear how long these medications will work.” It is a very scary fact to know that what one may be taking won’t be for better, disregarding the brain’s intricate mechanisms more research should be done in regards to medicine prescriptions to mental ill patients. The cognitive processes can puzzling, however, with proper study mechanisms and more study perhaps in the future “safer” medications can be prescribed to
patients. Healthcare has progressed so much throughout the years, if we compare mental institutions, diagnosis, and treatment, we can conclude that it is far better than what it was 50 years ago. However, more research needs to be done in this field. Many patients are not content with the effects many medications bring to their body. Medication for the mental ill has become a contradiction, no cure but a new condition. Everyone including patients, and medical practitioners should take the time to evaluate possible alternatives for mentally ill patients, perhaps the cure doesn’t merely involve drugs, and perhaps the cure is drug-free.
Works Cited:
Depression Articles:
Adams, SM, KE Miller, and RG Zylstra. "Pharmacologic Management Of Adult Depression." American Family Physician 77.6 (2008): 785-792. CINAHL. Web. 1 Dec. 2013.
"Citalopram Shows Negative Effects In Patients With DRI And Depression... Deficient Response Inhibition." Brown University Geriatric Psychopharmacology Update 14.4 (2010): 1. CINAHL. Web. 1 Dec. 2013.
"Exposure To Potentially Harmful Drug-Disease Interactions In Older Community-Dwelling Veterans Based On The Healthcare Effectiveness Data And Information Set Quality Measure: Who Is At Risk?." Journal Of The American Geriatrics Society 59.9 (2011): 1673-1678. CINAHL. Web. 1 Dec. 2013.
Hansen, EC, et al. "General Practitioners ' Experiences And Understandings Of Diagnosing Dementia: Factors Impacting On Early Diagnosis." Social Science & Medicine 67.11 (2008): 1776-1783. CINAHL. Web. 1 Dec. 2013.
Dementia Articles:
Alzheimer 's care. (2013, December). Homecare Direction, 21(12), 8+. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA348314177&v=2.1&u=cuny_queensboro&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w&asid=22dabfae8a32ea11d676ba058e4f4a03
Gonçalves-Pereira, M., Carmo, I., da Silva, J. A., Papoila, A. L., Mateos, R., & Zarit, S. H. (2010). Caregiving experiences and knowledge about dementia in portuguese clinical outpatient settings. International Psychogeriatrics, 22(2), 270-80. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1041610209991050
Guarding against infections could benefit your brain. (2013, November). Focus on Healthy Aging, 16(11), 3. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA347004933&v=2.1&u=cuny_queensboro&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w&asid=3f987b0a171b23bdbbbf27ed7c48d050
H Roeline, W. P., Onwuteaka-Philipsen, B., Kriegsman, D. M. W., Ooms, M. F., & al, e. (2005). Discomfort in nursing home patients with severe dementia in whom artificial nutrition and hydration is forgone. Archives of Internal Medicine, 165(15), 1729-35. Retrieved from http://qbcc.ezproxy.cuny.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/234252447?accountid=28449
Robison, J., Curry, L., Gruman, C., Porter, M., & al, e. (2007). Partners in caregiving in a special care environment: Cooperative communication between staff and families on dementia units. The Gerontologist, 47(4), 504-15. Retrieved from http://qbcc.ezproxy.cuny.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/211026915?accountid=28449
Interview:
Zigouras, Constance. Personal Interview. 28 11 2013.
and brings about new health concerns.
Amongst the numerous mental illnesses that exist, a significant disorder is affecting many people: depression. Antidepressant medications are set to be used because of a chemical imbalance. According to many researchers low levels of serotonin cause depression, anti-depressants supposedly are set to increase serotonin levels, and bring the patient back to a normal condition. However, many specialists suggest that this conclusion is not true at all. An article by University of Tennessee College of Medicine, titled: “Pharmacologic management of adult depression” states that there is no test that can measure the amount of serotonin in the living brain. If the professionals can’t really determine a concise matter to determine normal levels of serotonin, why are patients taking serotonin inhibitors if the chemical imbalance theory is not one hundred percent true? An article posted by the Brown University Geriatric Psychopharmacology department in regards to Citalopram (known as Celexa) states the following “experiments have shown that lowering people’s serotonin levels doesn’t always lower mood, nor does it worsen symptoms in people who are already depressed.” The article continues to state that antidepressants raise serotonin levels within hours, but that it takes weeks before medication is able to relieve depression. In conclusion, if anti-depressants were indeed effective to treat chemical imbalances there would be no such lag in the patient.
As a result of anti depressants not working properly in many patients, doctors instead of viewing alternatives continue to prescribe higher dosage of these Drugs. Many professional doctors have the logic in mind that this might bring upon a better result. The truth of the matter is that this only worsens the condition. For example, Constance Zigouras, who resides in New York City, was asked the following questions in an interview in regards to her depression diagnosis a couple of years ago:
Question: When were you diagnosed with depression and why?
Constance: I was diagnosed with depression thirty years ago right after my mother died of pressure ulcers.
Question: Where you prescribed any drugs by the psychiatrist?
Constance: Without a doubt! I was prescribed, Zoloft, and Celexa
Question: Did you feel any better after taking the medication?
Constance: Well I won’t lie, I did feel better for approximately 6 months, I was prescribed 20mg of Celexa. After that I began feeling super irritated, I began to have constant insomnia and then was prescribed 40mg of Celexa. I felt better again, a year passed by and Celexa stopped working in my system I would not sleep at all, had a lot of heart palpitations, constantly tired and irritated beyond belief. I went to my doctor and instead of prescribing me a lower dosage I was put onto 200 mgs of Zoloft.
Question: While you were on the 200 mgs of Zoloft did you feel any better?
Constance: Absolutely not! I started hearing noises and I was always sleeping. I became a very paranoid person, and decided by myself to do a very dangerous decision: get off antidepressants without medical supervision
Question: How did you feel afterwards?
Constance: I went in withdrawal stage, had a fever, nausea, diarrhea, you name it! My melancholy is still there though; I can say that I have learned to cope with my sadness by myself. These antidepressants have left me with insomnia and paranoia, I am nothing close to what I used to be, these meds really took a great part of me.
Many patients can definitely relate with Constance, the human brain is complex mechanism however very delicate. Without a doubt a patient should become more informed about alternatives that do not include solely pharmaceuticals. Also it is of high priority that when one visits their medical practitioner to ask questions, these professionals have a more thorough understanding of the brain functions and can definitely help you find a drug-free alternative. Anti-depressant drugs can help to an extent however putting trust to chemicals that aren’t natural logically will affect the brain. These medications due to the amount of chemicals used literally change the brain making the “side effects” totally out weight the cure. Another mental condition that has many people suffering is dementia.
Dementia affects more than five million Americans. This illness affects the brain in totality, as we age it our brain begins to deteriorate. Our brain works like a network, nerve cells are designed to make contact with other nerve cells through dendrites, thus, creating a network. This is how messages are passed throughout the whole brain. Dementia occurs when there is an obstruction of plaque and tangles in the brain. Key protein’s that are affected by dementia are called: Amyloid and Tau. Amyloid is produced when the Amyloid precursor protein is degraded, in healthy cells Amyloid is removed, however during Alzheimer’s disease (type of Dementia) Amyloid is accumulated outside of the cells making plaque. Scientists think that Amyloid is toxic to cells. Another structure responsible for Dementia is called Tau. Tau transports nutrients among the cell. However, during dementia, Tau produces much more proteins causing tangles throughout the cell and disrupting all nutrient formation and transport, basically strangling the cell. There is no known cure for any type of dementia, medication prescribed to patients do not stop the progressive nature of dementia. If medications like Exelon, Aricept, Reminyl won’t cure the patient why should caregivers keep on prescribing drugs that won’t help the patient at all. The American Geriatrics Society, states that “It is not clear how long these medications will work.” It is a very scary fact to know that what one may be taking won’t be for better, disregarding the brain’s intricate mechanisms more research should be done in regards to medicine prescriptions to mental ill patients. The cognitive processes can puzzling, however, with proper study mechanisms and more study perhaps in the future “safer” medications can be prescribed to
patients. Healthcare has progressed so much throughout the years, if we compare mental institutions, diagnosis, and treatment, we can conclude that it is far better than what it was 50 years ago. However, more research needs to be done in this field. Many patients are not content with the effects many medications bring to their body. Medication for the mental ill has become a contradiction, no cure but a new condition. Everyone including patients, and medical practitioners should take the time to evaluate possible alternatives for mentally ill patients, perhaps the cure doesn’t merely involve drugs, and perhaps the cure is drug-free.
Works Cited:
Depression Articles:
Adams, SM, KE Miller, and RG Zylstra. "Pharmacologic Management Of Adult Depression." American Family Physician 77.6 (2008): 785-792. CINAHL. Web. 1 Dec. 2013.
"Citalopram Shows Negative Effects In Patients With DRI And Depression... Deficient Response Inhibition." Brown University Geriatric Psychopharmacology Update 14.4 (2010): 1. CINAHL. Web. 1 Dec. 2013.
"Exposure To Potentially Harmful Drug-Disease Interactions In Older Community-Dwelling Veterans Based On The Healthcare Effectiveness Data And Information Set Quality Measure: Who Is At Risk?." Journal Of The American Geriatrics Society 59.9 (2011): 1673-1678. CINAHL. Web. 1 Dec. 2013.
Hansen, EC, et al. "General Practitioners ' Experiences And Understandings Of Diagnosing Dementia: Factors Impacting On Early Diagnosis." Social Science & Medicine 67.11 (2008): 1776-1783. CINAHL. Web. 1 Dec. 2013.
Dementia Articles:
Alzheimer 's care. (2013, December). Homecare Direction, 21(12), 8+. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA348314177&v=2.1&u=cuny_queensboro&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w&asid=22dabfae8a32ea11d676ba058e4f4a03
Gonçalves-Pereira, M., Carmo, I., da Silva, J. A., Papoila, A. L., Mateos, R., & Zarit, S. H. (2010). Caregiving experiences and knowledge about dementia in portuguese clinical outpatient settings. International Psychogeriatrics, 22(2), 270-80. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1041610209991050
Guarding against infections could benefit your brain. (2013, November). Focus on Healthy Aging, 16(11), 3. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA347004933&v=2.1&u=cuny_queensboro&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w&asid=3f987b0a171b23bdbbbf27ed7c48d050
H Roeline, W. P., Onwuteaka-Philipsen, B., Kriegsman, D. M. W., Ooms, M. F., & al, e. (2005). Discomfort in nursing home patients with severe dementia in whom artificial nutrition and hydration is forgone. Archives of Internal Medicine, 165(15), 1729-35. Retrieved from http://qbcc.ezproxy.cuny.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/234252447?accountid=28449
Robison, J., Curry, L., Gruman, C., Porter, M., & al, e. (2007). Partners in caregiving in a special care environment: Cooperative communication between staff and families on dementia units. The Gerontologist, 47(4), 504-15. Retrieved from http://qbcc.ezproxy.cuny.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/211026915?accountid=28449
Interview:
Zigouras, Constance. Personal Interview. 28 11 2013.