Antipsychotics kill five UK dementia sufferers every day

The Telegraph reports that antipsychotics kill five UK dementia sufferers every day and that at last meaningful action is being proposed to instruct doctors to review all antipsychotics prescriptions and to seek to reduce them by finding “therapeutic alternatives” to these harmful drugs.

Harmful antipsychotic drugs are still being wrongly prescribed to dementia sufferers

BBC News reports that harmful antipsychotic drugs are still being widely and inappropriately prescribed to elderly dementia sufferers. "More than 50 health and social care organisations are calling for fresh action to cut the prescription of "chemical cosh" drugs. Around 180,000 people with dementia are thought to be prescribed antipsychotic drugs in the UK. But 80% of those prescriptions are said by critics to be inappropriate. Long-term use of the drugs can make dementia symptoms worse, reduce the ability to talk and walk and increase the risk of stroke and even death."

If David Cameron speaks out on the subject of human rights abuses while in China

I hope the response he receives will include a reminder that the UK itself has an extremely poor record on human rights. - Read about Chemical Cosh drugs that are harming and bringing early death to many thousands of dementia sufferers. And the appallingly callous treatment in the Staffordshire Hospital that resulted in terrible suffering and premature death for hundreds of patients. And the many millions of UK citizens (mostly women) gravely harmed for decades by tranquillisers and other toxic psychotropic drugs which are still being prescribed by foolish doctors. - Just a few examples of the atrocious treatment far too many UK citizens routinely receive from the NHS.

Chemical cosh to be used less on dementia sufferers in Scotland

See Telegraph report. I've been urging for a curb on the use of anti-psychotics on elderly people for a long time. The declared intention to reduce their use now though seems less to be motivated by humanity than by a desire to cut costs!

The Telegraph reports that care homes are still administering anti-psychotic drugs to dementia patients.

The Telegraph reports that care homes are still harming dementia patients by administering 'chemical cosh' drugs (aka anti-psychotic drugs) to them.

Elderly people with dementia are dying prematurely in care homes because of being prescribed 'chemical coshes'.

Drugs 'kill 23,000 Alzheimer's victims a year'

Extracts from the Telegraph:

"More than 23,000 elderly people with Alzheimer's could be dying prematurely in care homes each year after being given drugs to keep them quiet, a report claims today.

Anti-psychotic drugs, which are not licensed to treat dementia but are prescribed to control agitation, sleep disturbance and aggression, are being given to 100,000 elderly people to keep them "quiet and manageable", says a report by Paul Burstow, the Liberal Democrat MP and a campaigner for the rights of elderly people.

Despite studies that show the drugs can increase the risk of strokes and have other harmful side effects, the report claims the Government has failed to act to stem their use.

The report comes as research by three universities says long-term use of anti-psychotics offers "no long-term benefit for most patients".

The claims in the report will fuel the debate over the use of powerful drugs, dubbed "chemical coshes" because of their strong sedative effect, on care home residents."

"Mr Burstow said: "There are around 244,000 people with dementia living in care homes, and the Alzheimer's Society estimates 100,000 are being given anti-psychotic drugs. Of those, I am saying that 23.5 per cent could be dying prematurely as a result of being prescribed anti-psychotic drugs - or 23,500 people a year."

Neil Hunt, of the Alzheimer's Society, said: "The over-prescription of anti-psychotic drugs to people with dementia is a serious abuse of human rights. Anti-psychotics should be used as a last resort."

Mr Burstow's report, which will be debated in the Commons today, calls for urgent police action and a ban on routine prescribing."

In my opinion, doctors who are doing this cruel and harmful prescribing should be sent to prison.

You can lower your risk of vascular dementia and many other illnesses by eating less salt/sodium.

See Sodium in foods and

Associated health conditions