Withdrawal and dementia

[Jorddyn]

Not me, luckily, but has anyone ever heard of withdrawal from prescription drugs (namely, hydrocodone) causing dementia?

I have a relative who is currently going through withdrawal, and am having a hard time buying that the dementia is caused by said withdrawal.

Jorddyn

[Stanley Burrell]

I know people who have become demented from the effect of an analgesic after surgery.

I know that GABA overloading and then rapid declining can cause seizures when applicable following a separate category of medication I found to be highly addictive (the diazepam class of drugs, as many of you are aware of.)

In short -- I have no immediate idea; I've seen stage II & III dementia patients, because they were stage II & III dementia patients... They sure as shit could have very much benefited from rockin' wagon dosages of compound X painkiller(s) therapeutics, amongst other remedies.

Stanley Burrell.

[Sean of the Thread]

Withdrawls suck.

[Stanley Burrell]

...I imagine there to be some kind of link, Jorddyn, between symptom rebound sans dementia and a decline in medication used to alleviate said dementia.

And that is just about my RN's aide wisdom's worth :-\

Stanley Burrell.

[Czeska]

http://www.addictionwithdrawal.com/hydrocodone.htm


If a regular hydrocodone user stops taking hydrocodone, he or she will experience hydrocodone withdrawal symptoms within six to twelve hours but, the withdrawal symptoms are usually not life-threatening. The intensity of hydrocodone withdrawal symptoms depend on the degree of the addiction. For example, hydrocodone withdrawal symptoms may grow stronger for twenty-four to seventy-two hours and then gradually decline over a period of seven to fourteen days. The duration of hydrocodone withdrawal symptoms varies greatly from person to person.


Hydrocodone Withdrawal symptoms include but are not limited to:

intense cravings for the drug
irritability
nausea or vomiting
muscle aches
runny nose or eyes
dilated pupils
sweating
diarrhea
yawning
fevers
chills
inability to sleep
depression

[Sean of the Thread]

PHENERGAN

[HarmNone]

Withdrawal should not cause dementia. How old is the person of whom you speak, Jordyyn? Has there ever been any evidence of dementia before? Any other drugs on board?

[Miss X]

Also, have you ruled out respiratory/urine infection? If it's an older person, infections can cause dementia like symptoms sometimes. Usually manifests itself as general confusion etc.

[Jorddyn]

Withdrawal should not cause dementia. How old is the person of whom you speak, Jordyyn? Has there ever been any evidence of dementia before? Any other drugs on board?

He's 79. He's been loopy and confused for at least 5 years, but never this bad, and we tended to blame it on the medication. He's also taking blood thinners, an antidepressant, and some other heart medication. Unfortunately, that's all I know.



Also, have you ruled out respiratory/urine infection? If it's an older person, infections can cause dementia like symptoms sometimes. Usually manifests itself as general confusion etc.

When he was admitted to the hospital, he had a persistant fever between 99 and 100, which they attributed to an infection, most likely caused by diverticulitis (sp?). The infection (according to them, anyway) was cleared up by antibiotics, and his fever is gone. His brain, however, has not returned to normal, and they're attributing this to the hydrocodone withdrawal.

We're unsure how much he was taking, as he had several prescriptions by different doctors, and used at least three pharmacies.

The reason I'm concerned is that his brother died last year after suffering for a nearly a decade from Lewy Body disease, which has symptoms including dementia, shaking, and depression. He's on anti-depressants, has been diagnosed with non-parkinson's tremors, and is (to say the least) a little out of it right now. His doctors, however, seem unconcerned.

Of course, telling them "the people on the GS message board agree with me that it isn't coming from the withdrawal!" probably won't help my case, and they may begin to think dementia runs in the family... I guess I just knew people here had dealt with addiction and recovery, and wanted to ask.

Anyhow, thanks for all of the responses. I really appreciate it.

Jorddyn

[Jazuela]

Maybe HarmNone can come up with some ideas, but all the things you mentioned made me wonder:

Could he be "loopy" as you say, just in general, and then withdrawal cause delirium on top of that? I know sometimes delirium is confused with dementia in certain situations but I don't know the details or criteria or whatever.

Could it be that the combination of antidepressants with the hydrocodone created a chemical change in his brain, and removing one of the combination caused a "dementia" reaction? The same question applies to whatever other meds he's been taking, but specifically the antidepressants since they're "mind-altering" drugs.

[HarmNone]

In my experience, elderly individuals who are "loopy" anyway become even more so when they're ill. Doesn't matter what the illness, if they're taken away from their familiar homes and placed in a hospital, they get worse as far as the dementia goes. This guy was already suffering from dementia. The illness and hospitalization have just brought the symptoms further along.

Sometimes, these people will return to their baseline (what's normal for them) after a few weeks. However, in many cases the increased dementia remains a problem. At 79, this could very well be the case with this gentleman. I hate to disagree with the doctors, but I'd doubt very seriously that it has anything to do with the withdrawal from hydrocodone. It's probably just a progression of the demented state, brought on by the illness and hospitalization. :(

[HarmNone]

Maybe HarmNone can come up with some ideas, but all the things you mentioned made me wonder:

Could he be "loopy" as you say, just in general, and then withdrawal cause delirium on top of that? I know sometimes delirium is confused with dementia in certain situations but I don't know the details or criteria or whatever.

Could it be that the combination of antidepressants with the hydrocodone created a chemical change in his brain, and removing one of the combination caused a "dementia" reaction? The same question applies to whatever other meds he's been taking, but specifically the antidepressants since they're "mind-altering" drugs.

I doubt it has anything to do with the antidepressants. Those are commonly used for demented patients who also suffer from depression. It's not an unusual condition this late in life (79 is getting up there). There are some medications (Aricept is one) that can, for some, slow the progression of dementia. When this guy has had a chance to completely recover from his illness, that might be something to try. However, if the dementia has progressed to a real problem state, it probably won't do much good. :(