Treatment of Lewy body dementias can be complicated, and may require coordination by a physician experienced in Lewy body disorder treatments. This is partly because some medicines can cause serious problems for people with Lewy body dementias (dementia with Lewy bodies and Parkinson’s disease with dementia). These medicines include:
- Traditional (or “typical”) antipsychotics (Haldol, for example) – these medicines can have permanent and even fatal side effects for people with Lewy Body dementias.
- Some newer (or “atypical”) antipsychotics (Risperdal, for example)
- Older antidepressants
- Tranquilizers
- Certain over-the-counter sleep medicines, antihistamines and motion sickness medicines.
- Some types of anesthesia used during surgery.
In addition, some of the Parkinson’s medicines used to treat physical symptoms of Lewy body dementias can make memory and thinking worse.
Learn More:
Tangled Neuron Posts and Pages:
Lewy Body Dementia: One Couple's Story
Lewy Body Dementia: Hard to Diagnose
Lewy Body Dementia: The Importance of the Right Diagnosis
Alzheimer's or Lewy Body Dementia? (Part 1 of 3)
Alzheimer's or Lewy Body Dementia? (Part 2 of 3)
Alzheimer's or Lewy Body Dementia? (Part 3 of 3)
Other Sources:
Information about DLB from the U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
