Muscle Spasms

[CaliforniaBOy5]

My grandfather has alzheimers' and is taking Zyprexa, and one of the side effects are muscle spasms, are there any other alternatives of drugs to take to avoid muscle spasms? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

[camachinist]

How bad are the spasms and what other medications is he currently taking?

Has the dosage of the Zyprexa been adjusted whilst watching for changes in his condition?

Has the Zyprexa helped with his congnition and/or emotional state? Is there a reason why an anti-psychotic drug was prescribed rather than more traditonal AD drugs like Aricept?

How far along is the AD?

Pat

[gizmolove]

QUESTION:

Is anyone, everyone? Sure that this is from the medication? See, my mom had AD and my uncle and my grandmother. I remember my grandma's arm shakeing and that would make her so frustrated. She'd yell and curse at it as if screaming at it would make it "behave". My mom stopped signing checks about 6 years before she died and she quit her oil painting because ("My hands shake so bad"). Now, I am almost 60, and I've had "charlie horses" now, for years. So bad that this morning I could hardly get through the twisting (to clean) in the bathroom, without a charlie horse grabbing me in my side. Doctors have taken me off my calcium, said it would help,,,,It didn't. (And very bad idea too, (should go back on it), Osterparosis is rampant in my family). Doctors have taken me off of lipitor because they thought that this was the cause of my frequent muscle spasms. But, again,,,no use,,,,still have them. Sometimes my fingers even spasm and curl up to my wrist or my left anckle, the other night, twisted inward in horriable pain,,,,my husband had to straighten it out and rub it for the spasm to go away. My mom in the last stages of AD in a nursing home wore a arm brace to prevent hand curling. Doctors always said that my mom's "curling" and shakeing were because she had a touch of Parkenson's as well as the Alzheimer's. That accounted for her shakeing hands (which again were minor not the typical Parkenson's shake, more of a muscle spasm or an involuntary curling). Now, because of your post, I am wondering??????

Wondering if shakeing, muscle spasms, cramping and curling of the limbs could not in fact be part of this disease itself? Also, it is my understnading that this can also be a part of LBD, Lewdy Body Disease? Just makes you wonder,,,wouldn't be the first nor surely the last time anyone was misdiagnosed,,,,you know? Makes you think. And, sense all Alzheimer's symptoms and people are different, just wondering if mom didn't have LBD (Her symptoms were much worse than most AD patients) instead of Alzheimer's. Just goes to show you how at the mercy of these doctors we are, and how very important it is to have a "good" one. You know?

Any response appriciated,

Gizmo

[CaliforniaBOy5]

Oh man, you really made me think about that one. I guess so, if you can have one disease you can have another too, that makes sense.

Update on my grandfather:

We took him into the hospital on monday, he was real bad, he is still not looking good. My mom was crying because she did not know if he would make it, she said this reminded her or the final days of how my grandmom looked before she pased away. Im hoping to go see him tommorow evening after my water polo game. For who is interested i will keep you guys updated.

[camachinist]

Sorry to hear about your grandfather's turn for the worse. Things can happen suddenly with AD/dementia, especially in the end stages.

I assumed in my original post that your grandfather was formally diagnosed with probable AD by a professional team of specialists, usually co-ordinated by a neurologist. If this isn't the case, and BTW this process is very intensive and time-consuming (my mom's dx took around 2 months of interviews, MRI's, CAT scans, psych evals, etc.), then, as was mentioned by another poster, your grandfather may have something else wrong with him or possibly a blend of diseases. Often AD patients can present with Parkinsonian symptoms as well.

In my mother's case, vascular dementia was the final dx, although a less intensive investigation might easily have dx'd AD. For us, the difficulties in dealing with the disease are similar, but it's nice to know what we're facing.

Best wishes for a good outcome for you and your family...

Pat