Rivastigmine Patches.

[Valpiana]

After a bad experience with donepizil tablets my husband has now been prescribed Rivastigmine patches. The pharmacy is ordering them and meanwhile we are trying to weigh up whether the benefits will outweigh any side effects and the faff of applying them. My husband is extremely hairy and the leaflet that we have been given states that they must be put on hairless areas on upper body and arms. This is now going to be another job that will be my responsibility and will probably include shaving an area of skin every day . The leaflet states do not put a patch in the same place for 14 days so I am thinking of marking him up with permanent marker in a grid pattern so we can manage this. His legs of course are hair free so would be ideal but I don't think we are meant to stick them there. How have other people managed to stick to this regime and is it worth it. The leaflet also says not to worry about side effects,but I do.

 

[Alex54]

The following article seems interesting, it sounds as though the patches are not that big and the side effects are greatly reduced.

https://www.evidentlycochrane.net/dementia-drugs-doubt-reviewing-rivastigmine/

 

[Glokta]

It sounds awful. I have Matrifen patches, not the same, but I have 4 sites that I use on a rotational basis. The first site has completely recovered by the time I get back to it. Patches usually have less side effects than the equivalent oral medication. Hope someone on here can give you more ideas. X

 

[Banjomansmate]

You can download and print off a chart from the manufacturer to help you keep track of where you can place them.
http://www.exelonpatch.com/info/alz...ilter_applied=true&NovaId=6002860716328022312

 

[Lawson58]

My husband was originally on donepezil but had side effects so has been on Rivastigmine patches for over four years. He has done very well on them though his geriatrician is probably going to put him on to the next stronger ones at his next consultation in December. He has been declining very slowly so perhaps they are a contributing factor.

My husband is still quite capable of looking after his own personal hygiene and does the patches himself. I don't get too stressed out about it probably because he hasn't had any problems. He can occasionally get a little redness where the patches have been so it's easy to see where he has been putting them.

The patches themselves are quite small, less than 1 and 1/2 inches across. The thing to remember is to remove the old one so that the dose remains consistent over the span of a day.