What to Do If the Alzheimer Medications Don't Work

I am a hospice pharmacist - - I often get asked two questions - - should hospice pay for alzheimer's medications (we commonly pay for medications that improve symptoms that occur as part of the dying process)? When is it appropriate to stop these medications (titrate off, stop some before others??)

I know this is a different subject, but not many physicians put themselves on the internet and make themselves available for comment: This is a mechanical theory for the onslaught of Alzheimer's: "Gum", whether Xantham or Carrageen, is an ingredient in most liquid-based packaged foods (dressings, ice cream, pot pies, etc.). These gums are super-sized, string molecules that dissolve in water (maintaining clarity), yet help to hold smaller molecules in suspension with their long shapes. Is it possible for molecules with this structure to enter our blood stream? If so, the smallest blood vessels in our body, capillaries in the brain, would be the place for these huge, thready molecules to get stuck and begin trapping other molecules. Enzymes are supposed to digest unwanted molecules in our blood, but I read research recently that stated enzyme quantity and activity reduces with age, which I see as leaving us more at risk as we get older from large molecules that need to be broken down. Thank you. Dan Buckman danbuckman@gmail.com