Aggression with Namenda??

[MommaTee727]

My dad has cirrhosis of the liver caused from a blood clot in his portal vein.  We are accustomed to dealing with personality issues from his ammonia levels.  He was recently diagnosed with moderate Alzs although we think he has been undiagnosed for years.  He is currently hospitalized and physically restrained because he became combative in the nursing home.  His ammonia level was elevated but has come down.  However, the agitation/aggression hasn't changed.   The dr started him on namenda last week.  Has anyone seen this kind of aggression from namenda??  HELP!!

[TheLightSeeker]

Hi heartfluttersflyawayplz,
Your post was not meant for me, but since I'm here I'll tell you about this med.
This medication is  old and sold all over the world for treating moderate+ A.D.  Better known as Memantin.
My mom, in Europe was prescribed Akatinol which is the same exact drug.
It really did not suit her at all and I consulted with her doctor and convinced him to take her off it. I wish they were more thourough b4 they presrcibe!
I use Integrative Psychiatry's Neurotransmitter Assessment questionnaires
-for mild to moderate A.D only- to help evaluate NT dysfunction.
Take care.
Niko

[heartfluttersflyawayplz]

first let me say am sorry ya are going threw this.   I have never heard of this med and so i can not inform you of it. i would have a long talk with his dr to find out all you can about it .  my mom would get  combative when she had a bad uti, has he been checked for that?

with a alz person it does not take much to make them up-set, so maybe its not the meds at all. you really just need to express your concerns to his health care taker and see what they say, if you want to see if they will take him off that med and see how he does if he gets better than you know it was the meds. plz keep in touch and let us know hows hes doing .

[TheLightSeeker]

My computer is acting up! lol! Plus something else came up.

Let's start over.
It's a delicate situation.
When protein (mainly animal protein from diet) is broken down in the body by intestinal bacteria, in the process, there's ammonia produced, that his liver does not process, thus getting into the blood circulation and causing all sorts of complications.
One of them is  ammonia toxicity in the brain.
Should this be the case, then namenda, a glutamate blocker, would be  counterindicated, as ammonia in the brain inhibits neurotransmitter synthesis, including glutamate and GABA-all necessary for proper brain/neuronal function.
Some of the common side effects include : confusion, dizziness, drowsiness, headache, insomnia, agitation, and/or hallucinations.

This analysis should be considered carefully and discussed with the prescribing physician, should it indeed be accurate.
The possibility of the wrong medication with unwanted effects
is there, according to the limited information I have from your post.
Also a very knowledgeable nutritionist/dietician familiar with liver issues and
ammonia toxicity, should be consulted.  Most doctors know  little about nutrition.
I would question his Alzheimer's status, by looking into the  brain toxicity
that may have effects  mistakenly considered as Alzheimer's signs or symptoms.
This being only my opinion, should not be used as a substitute for medical advice.

Hope it helps and please let me know if you need more details.
Niko

[TheLightSeeker]

MommaTee727, welcome to the forum.

It's a delicate situation
When protein is broken down in the body by intestinal bacteria in the