aricept

[myheadisinaspin]

thanks for all your replys, mum came off the aricept 2 weeks ago and this week has started them again (gp seems to think mum may well off had a virus at the time) so we are trying again, shes been on four days now and no sickness as yet, so i'm pleased we decided to give another go. mum seems fine like your mum duncan she lives on her own, something she used to love was being by herself (before diagnosis)but now she always wants someone there with her, sad to see us go ( she used to be kicking us out the door before we even got there-too much mess hehehe)my role seems to have changed with mum, i have become mum so to speak, she has to tell me everything that happens, ( several phone calls a day).

since mum has been on aricept she has been having a load of dreams etc, well i hope they are just dreams and not something else. she is not worried by them (they are nice ones she says)is this also a side effect of the aricept, she says sometimes she feels the dreams are real. ????

 

[dandare]

I was nauseous and sick when first took 5mg aricept, also head ache in morning, this settled after 3 or 4 weeks. Then was very sick and ill again when went onto 10mg aricept .............. but couldn't tolerate higher dose. So am taking 5mg. Tried reminyl but this had the same effect.

 

[Meldrew]

finally got on phone to consultant and he made the decision for us, mum is to stop aricept, allow a week or so and try another. mum is adament she is trying no more, but doc persuaded her to try another as not all suit people. hopefully mum will feel better soon. so we will wait and see. thanks for your help.

Might be worthwhile asking if your mum could be tried on a different drug delivered in a different manner. There are two other drugs used commonly in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (some studies suggest they can also be effectve for some other causes of dementia)- Exelon and Reminyl,

Novartis, who manufacture Exelon, has developed an alternative method of delivering Exelon via a rivastigmine transdermal system (Exelon Patch), similar to the way in which HRT and nicotine replacement is delivered. The Exelon Patch is available in 5cm (containing 4.6mg) and 10cm (containing 9.5mg) doses. 5mg is the initial dose and people starting treatment titrate to the 10mg maintenance dose after a few weeks. Those people already taking an oral acetylcholinesterase inhibitor can switch to using a patch after ceasing oral administration the previous day. Research undertaken by Novartis (Winblad B et al. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 2007;22:456–67) has shown that some people using Exelon Patch may experience fewer adverse side effects than those taking oral medication. Exelon will remain available in capsule form for oral administration.

From June 2005 Reminyl XL, a single dose medication, replaced Reminyl. Reminyl XL comes in once daily prolonged release capsules of 8mg (white capsules), 16mg (pink capsules) and 24 mg (beige capsules).