Misc Racetams or other nootropics for my gramma

[Hedgeclipper]

So I've tried piracetam and oxyracetam and found them very beneficial. I always took 1g of piracetam per day and a little bit of choline a once or twice a week.

My grandmother was recently diagnosed with dementia, and I don't think any of the drugs she's on are helping her. Aside from non-psychiatric medications, she is taking Aricept (donepezil) and citalopram. Aricept is costing her 60$ per week and it doesn't seem to be helping her very much. From what I've read it is likely no more effective than piracetam, and I'd really like to see what it would be like to try her on piracetam. I will likely talk to a doctor about it beforehand, but I was wondering if you guys had any input on this (since the doctor probably won't know anything about it or give a shit). Do you think it wuold be a problem to be on aricept, citalopram, and piracetam all at once? I don't think there's any chance of my gramma ever getting of citalopram, but I think she may be able to get off aricept and just take piracetam. Should the dosage be adjusted since she is very light and frail? Are there any other nootropics you've heard about that might be beneficial for elderly people with dementia (or at least more beneficial than aricept -- which isn't beneficial at all)?

 

[flyhighk]

I suggest you ask for generic donepezil at the pharmacy. It should be much cheaper than aricept.

 

[Hedgeclipper]

Sure, but I'm talking about putting her on piracetam.

 

[nAON]

There's some funny interactions with piracetam and ACh I think, ie. how it's recommended to take choline supplements with it because it gets depleted. So combining it with donazepil might potentiate that depletion effect.

 

[pinpoint]

Did anyone else read the title as OP asking about racetams to help with his 'grammar' skills (misspelled gramma ironically) instead only to find that he is talking about his actual grandmother?

 

[damonoxide]

Did anyone else read the title as OP asking about racetams to help with his 'grammar' skills (misspelled gramma ironically) instead only to find that he is talking about his actual grandmother?

...no.


But you made me chuckle.

 

[Hedgeclipper]

There's some funny interactions with piracetam and ACh I think, ie. how it's recommended to take choline supplements with it because it gets depleted. So combining it with donazepil might potentiate that depletion effect.

Good point. I was thinking about this. Donazepil is an acetylcholine esterase inhibitor, so it shouldn't lead to depletion in choline since acetylcholine is not being broken down as readily. I don't think that it should be a problem though, but the mere fact that the two drugs work on the same receptor means it's probably a better idea not to use them in conjunction with each other. Donazepil is absolutely not helping my gramma -- if anything, her symptoms have actually gotten worse primarily during the time she's been on it (and also, we are unsure as to whether she actually has dementia/Alzheimers -- it may be some other sort of cognitive impairment).

Either way, I don't think she should take piracetame until she's off donazepil, just to play it safe, but do you think there could be any problem with piracetam/citalopram ? She's definitely not going to be coming off citalopram.

I feel like doctors and pharmacists ignore the elderly because they'll just take whatever you give them without doing research. It is my opinion that her cognitive problems were in some part a result of some of the pharmeceuticals she was prescribed. A lot of the symptoms started after she was prescribed 7.5-15mg of zopiclone per day for sleep. I've taken zopiclone and I've noticed how it cuts up your train of thought and ruins your memory, and I think its no leap of imagination that giving something like that to an old person with minor preexisting cognitive issues could totally scramble their brain.