Namenda for dementia

My father is 77 and has dementia. Recently his doctor gave him a script for Namenda. Should I give this medication to my dad?

First let me give you some facts. Alzheimer’s dementia is a progressive disorder of aging for which there is no cure. The disorder will progress and can create havoc in the family. There is no medication which works well for this disorder. Even though Namenda has been around for 5-7 years, it does not work in every one. Moreover it is not recommended in patients with patients with mild dementia, as the drug causes more harm than good. In some patients, it can cause constipation, falls, high blood pressure and severe confusion. 

My advice regarding most medications for dementia is that they are JUNK and cause more harm than good. For behavior problems, you may need to use very low doses of antipsychotic medications. Other than supportive care and love, I rarely recommend medications to this patient population. My experience has been that most elderly get worse with medications. So avoid them.