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Is Belsomra Safe For An Alzheimer Patient?

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Posted on Mon, 16 Oct 2017
Question: Is the sleep aid pill Belsomra a problem for persons diagnosed with developing Alzheimers? If yes, is there a safer alternative?

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Answered by Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis (30 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
no problem with Alzheimer's

Detailed Answer:
Hello,

there is no contraindication (or warning) for patients with Alzheimer's dementia. Therefore no problems can be anticipated. Geriatric patients and patients with dementia should generally be watched closely when starting any new medication. You haven't mentioned any other drugs but there are some rather minor interactions with donepezil which is a drug for dementia, so if he already takes donepezil then please get his doctor's advise about the best way to improve his sleep. They can be taken together but the dosage will have to be individualized.

Kind Regards!
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis

Internal Medicine Specialist

Practicing since :1999

Answered : 3810 Questions

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Is Belsomra Safe For An Alzheimer Patient?

Brief Answer: no problem with Alzheimer's Detailed Answer: Hello, there is no contraindication (or warning) for patients with Alzheimer's dementia. Therefore no problems can be anticipated. Geriatric patients and patients with dementia should generally be watched closely when starting any new medication. You haven't mentioned any other drugs but there are some rather minor interactions with donepezil which is a drug for dementia, so if he already takes donepezil then please get his doctor's advise about the best way to improve his sleep. They can be taken together but the dosage will have to be individualized. Kind Regards!