My mom has had Alzheimers for the past three years. For a while, we were only giving her Admenta 5 and NH Vit but missed giving Donepezil. About four months ago, her condition got worse, so we consulted a psychologist, and they recommended Admenta 10 and Aricep 10. Shes been improving since then, but every day around 4 a.m., she experiences a sundowning effect. She also has frequent urination, muscle pain, and becomes paranoid at times. Can these medications be continued for life, and is there any way to reduce these side effects?

It's great to hear that your mom has shown improvement with the revised medication regimen; to address the side effects, consider consulting her psychologist again to discuss potential adjustments, such as optimizing dosage, adding medications to manage specific side effects (e.g., incontinence, muscle pain, or paranoia), or exploring alternative treatments, like behavioral therapy or lifestyle modifications, to minimize the Sundowning effect, frequent urination, muscle pain, and paranoia, and ensure her overall quality of life.