Can memantine make Alzheimers worse?
However, the worsening of psychotic symptoms in patients with Lewy body dementia (LBD) treated with memantine has been recently reported. We describe three patients with probable Alzheimer’s disease who developed worsening or de novo visual hallucinations and agitation after memantine treatment.
Can Namenda reverse dementia?
It isn’t a cure (there is no cure for Alzheimer’s or related dementias) but studies have shown memantine treats symptoms by improving memory, awareness, and concentration.
Does memantine worsen memory?
Medications containing the drug memantine are supposed to help people who have Alzheimer’s disease remember things and better manage their daily tasks. Studies show that memantine can somewhat delay the worsening of cognitive (mental) performance. Other abilities important in daily life may also last longer.
Are Namenda and memantine the same thing?
Namenda (memantine) is an approved medicine, marketed by Allergan, for the treatment of moderate to severe Alzheimer’s disease (AD).
How long is Namenda effective?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved two types of medications to treat dementia symptoms: cholinesterase inhibitors (Aricept, Razadyne, Exelon) and memantine (Namenda, Namenda XR). There is no clinical evidence that these drugs work beyond one year, and some patients do not benefit at all.
Can Namenda cause more confusion?
Some side effects of Namenda are dizziness, confusion, headache, sleepiness, constipation, vomiting, pain (especially in the back), and coughing. More serious side effects are rare but include shortness of breath and hallucination.
Is Namenda stronger than Aricept?
Depending on which drug they are taking, patients are usually prescribed between 3mg-20mg each day. The cost of a generic version of Namenda (20mg/day) is typically a little more than of the generic version of Aricept (10mg/day), and seems to be less effective for most patients.
Does Namenda treat dementia?
Memantine is used to treat moderate to severe confusion (dementia) related to Alzheimer’s disease. It does not cure Alzheimer’s disease, but it may improve memory, awareness, and the ability to perform daily functions.
Can you drink alcohol while taking Namenda?
What about alcohol? It is recommended that people taking memantine should not drink alcohol. This is because alcohol can cause confusion and cognitive impairment. Alcohol worsens the symptoms of dementia.