A common question that I have received is

“What do you do when your loved one loses their ability to swallow medications?”

Often times they forget how to swallow pills so they just chew them or spit them out.

At this moment you have two things to consider:

Which medications are absolutely necessary for them to take.

And

Which medications can you wean them off of after consulting their doctor.

We decided to take my mom off Namenda and Donezepil because these medications did not improve her symptoms. They primarily act to slow down the progression of Alzheimer’s Disease in most patients, but they do not cure it. Once she was far along in her presentation of symptoms, her doctor and I decided that it was not worth it to cram more medications down her throat. We weaned her off of them one at a time.

If you plan to do this, make sure you consult your doctor on the best way how. Drastically decreasing dosage of any medication can have negative effects such as withdrawal, which can be very stressful especially for someone with Alzheimer’s who can’t tell you how they are feeling.

My mom tolerated the weaning well. Often times, finding the correct dosage and combination of medications for an individual with Alzheimer’s is an experience of trial and error. I highly recommend a good mood stabilizer to help them achieve peace of mind because it can be very stressful to experience life in a constant state of confusion.

Once you have determined which medications are absolutely necessary, there are a few ways to make them more palatable.

I HIGHLY recommend buying a pill crusher, like this one

or this one.

You can purchase either one on Amazon for less than $10.

Consult your doctor or pharmacist to verify if certain medications are less effective when crushed and if they are, is there a similar medication you can switch to? Or do they have it in liquid form?

Once you crush the medications, you can put them into a favorite food item.

For my mom, we put hers into a mashed banana and she loves it. I have also used applesauce, pudding, and crushed veggies or fruit. Try to avoid putting medications into hot liquids such as coffee or tea as this can alter their potency. I have also found that mushy consistencies work better than liquids as portions of the crushed medication can get stuck to the sides of a cup.

You are doing a great job caring for your loved one and they appreciate everything you are doing, even if they can’t tell you.