Advice with Memantine Drug

[Annie20]

Hello
My husband is 63 and was Diagnosed with Alzheimers 7 months ago, he was initally put on Respiridone morning and night to help with his behavioural problems, plus he has been on Aricept. Due to him over the last 2 weeks becoming increasingly restless and pacing they are now weaning him off his evening respiridone tablet and replacing with the small dose of Memantine, eventually been taken off respiridone completly after 7 days. I have heard very little about the Memantine so could anyone please let me know if they have any information or experience with this drug please.

The respiridone did seem to initally work as before he went on he was getting aggressive and agitated and thinking people were trying to break in and steel things, and the respiridone stopped this. we are now worried that the aggression will come back.

I do hope some one will be able to ease our mind that this drug will help my husband.

Anne

[nmintueo]

I have heard very little about the Memantine so could anyone please let me know if they have any information or experience with this drug please.

... I do hope some one will be able to ease our mind that this drug will help my husband.

If you try a search of the forum (box at upper right) you'll easily find many past discussions of memantine and risperidone.

People respond differently to different drugs, and it's probably not possible to predict with any confidence which drug will work best in any given case. If the risperidone hasn't really delivered, trying an alternative seems reasonable.

e.g.

We tried risperidone, but found ampusulpride together with lorazepam and memantine far more effective.

contrast:

They decided to take him off of risperidone and replace with memantine. He is now back to argueing with staff, resisting personal care, banging his head, punching the walls and kicking out.

[SnowLeopard17]

Dear Anne, so sorry to hear of your husband's diagnosis, the last few months must have been very difficult for both of you.

My husband was diagnosed in early 2011 when he was put on Aricept 10mg. He also takes 100 mg Sertraline for depression and 3 months ago Memantine (Ebixa) was added into the mix - 20 mg. All of which he tolerates well. He has never been treated with Risperdone.

My husband is in the moderate stages of AD and the Memantine was prescribed to help with his increasing agitation. I have seen a definite improvement with reduced (but not entirely eliminated) agitation and I would say we have had less episodes of delusional behaviour. I'm not sure it works for all (there are a number of threads which discuss this combination therapy) but for us the benefits appear to have been positive.

Having said this in the last three months my husband has reached a stage where for the first time he has asked me my name and has even asked when am i going home (we have lived together for nearly 25 years). He has no recollection of our marriage and now views me as the new woman in his life - i even had a marriage proposal a couple of weeks back!!

Is this normal progression? Would this have happened without the introduction of Memantine? I really don't know. My husband still has days when he gets very depressed, tearful, has suicidal thoughts and can get verbally agressive towards me and other members of the immediate family but as stated above these seem to have reduced.

I guess everyone's response to the disease and medication is different. Given your husband's Risperdone prescription, which i have no experience of but understand it is a type of anti-psychotic(?) Memantine may be a better, gentler alternative. As i have said i am no expert.

I wish you both well and trust that the new medication regime works for both of you.

with love, SnowLeopard x