menantine(namenda)
- Thread starter farrand
- Start date
My FIL has been given the drug as his other health conditions prohibit use of the other first line drugs. I understand generally it is used for mid / later stages unless there is any other overriding health issue which means it is used earlier. We have noticed a change in my FIL in terms of memory (improvement) and self awareness. He is still cantankerous but this has always been the case, his sleep is poor and his mobility is the same. Hope that helps.
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Hi, my husband was put on it in mid stage when Aricept didn't work for him. I have asked many times how do I know if it's working and the answer seems to be it is hard to tell. It has a sedative effect and was prescribed to help with anxiety and agitation. It does, I suppose, but deterioration is still evident. Perhaps it has slowed it down, but it is hard to know. Sorry, not much help.
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My father is on this drug but we don't feel it has made much difference.
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My OH has been on it for about 10 weeks, after a bad reaction to Arricept. His psychiatrist decided it might suit him better which it does: he is early stage but general health declining anyway.
I have just had phone call from the psych to check how he is - I definitely notice an improvement in some areas of his thinking, though not all, his memory is much the same; his poor mobility and continence issues worse but may have other causes. Overall I think it is having some effect - also he is not declining cognitively at the fast rate of a few months ago which is great whether due to this or just a natural lull in the progression.
My husband was put on Memantine instead of Aricept when an assessment showed his condition had worsened. However he started to deteriorate quite quickly. I managed to get him back on Aricept as well as Memantine and he began to improve almost immediately and this has been maintained for several months now. So our experience is that both together are better than either separately. Of course others may react differently.
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Dad has been on Memantine for getting on for a year. Can't say I have seen any improvement or detioration.
Interestingly, I heard that they often prescribe both together in the US but not over here - how on earth did you get both prescribed? Well done.
My MIL (now sadly died) was on Aricept and Memantine together for many years, she started off with just Aricept at the beginning, and after several years, my husband asked for Memantine also (because he knew of someone else that was on both) luckily MIL was also prescribed Memantine, and she continued taking both medications until about a year before she died, it was obvious that the meds. were no longer doing anything, her Alzheimers since diagnosis lasted 14 years, whether the meds. actually did anything how can you tell what she would have been like without them, she was in a nursing home for 6 years unable to walk, talk, not able to do anything, I think the consultants forgot about her, but she kept being prescribed the Aricept and Memantine until the last year of her life.
My husband (now in late stages) is on both Exelon (Rivastigmine) patches and Memantine (Ebixa). He's been on the Exelon for about three years, but even at that stage, the consultant said it was too late for it to make much difference to the rate of progression of the disease. He's on the Ebixa for only a few months now, and of course it's way too late for that to make any difference to his memory. He's on both these meds to try and keep his agitation and aggression controlled. They have both helped with this.
Hi Farrand
My husband has been on Memantine (known as Ebixa here) for over 18 mths and he is in the early stage of dementia. The results were instantaneous (literally within 3/4 days I saw an improvement). He is so delighted with the difference and talks about it 'having given me my head back". It has been a life-saver for us.
My husband has been on Memantine (known as Ebixa here) for over 18 mths and he is in the early stage of dementia. The results were instantaneous (literally within 3/4 days I saw an improvement). He is so delighted with the difference and talks about it 'having given me my head back". It has been a life-saver for us.
mum is on it primarily for anxiety, rather hard to tell if it makes much difference, I'm afraid.
Hello,Farrand. My husband has been on galantamine for quite sometime now. This drug is supposed to slow down the progression of the disease, but who can determine its success. The two drugs he has been given to reduce anxiety, agitation, and biligerance is memantine and quetiapine. He has moderate + beginning about five years ago. The biggest problem we have I dealing with urine as explained in a question I had soon after signing with this forum. I do know for sure the quetiapine helped him settle at night. Just lately the memantine has been added and I can see no difference. Strangely, like so much of this disease, not all medications work the same for everyone. So I guess trial and error is all a person can do. I wish you success with memantine. He was on aricept when diagnosed, but it made him like a bee-on-a-posey, so they took him off. Sometimes I feel as though they are using him as a guinea pig. Do you, too? I just wish he wasn't on so many drugs. The professionals don't have all the answers either, so they need input from us and questions like yours are helpful to all who read them. Do use this forum --- it helps all of us. Hope to hear from you again regarding memantine. Have a great summer !
Hello.
My Mum was on Memantine for a few years. she suffered no side effects.
Mum was put on it too late (very long story) for her to reap the full benefit of this drug.
We were told
It was likely to take a while before we noticed any improvement
It only works for a few months
It could help with mums agitation
Their could be side effects.
It does not work for everyone
What we found.
Within a few days, Mums almost daily deterioration stopped seemingly overnight, sadly mum never actually improved but at least she was getting no worse.
It stopped mum getting any worse for over two yrs. and when we noticed mum was declining again, it was very slow unlike before she was put on it, so we and her Consultant reckoned it was still helping , he went against the guidelines here in the uk and kept her on it till she died, I was very glad he did this.
It did not help at all with mums agitation
Mum suffered no side effects, though many on here have reported unpleasant side effects
or worsening of dementia symptoms.
I am afraid to say , it is a matter of trial and error, unlike some other illnesses, Medication that works for one person, with Dementia may not help another.
If you have specific worries about this medication , please ask, people here will do their best to help
My Mum was on Memantine for a few years. she suffered no side effects.
Mum was put on it too late (very long story) for her to reap the full benefit of this drug.
We were told
It was likely to take a while before we noticed any improvement
It only works for a few months
It could help with mums agitation
Their could be side effects.
It does not work for everyone
What we found.
Within a few days, Mums almost daily deterioration stopped seemingly overnight, sadly mum never actually improved but at least she was getting no worse.
It stopped mum getting any worse for over two yrs. and when we noticed mum was declining again, it was very slow unlike before she was put on it, so we and her Consultant reckoned it was still helping , he went against the guidelines here in the uk and kept her on it till she died, I was very glad he did this.
It did not help at all with mums agitation
Mum suffered no side effects, though many on here have reported unpleasant side effects
or worsening of dementia symptoms.
I am afraid to say , it is a matter of trial and error, unlike some other illnesses, Medication that works for one person, with Dementia may not help another.
If you have specific worries about this medication , please ask, people here will do their best to help
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I agreed to Ebixa for my husband around a year ago but we did not persevere with it. Originally (12 years ago) he was on Aricept (Donepezil). He was on this for many years. Eventually they decided to change this to Exelon (Rivastigmine) when it was thought that Aricept was no longer helping. He was on Exelon for about 3 years or so. When his MMSE score dropped below a certain score (I think possible around 10) they wanted to stop this and give him Ebixa (Memantine). I was told that this was a different family of drugs and would not slow the progress of the disease. The doctor said that it was normally prescribed for people who were agitated or had behavioural problems. My husband showed none of these symptoms. She said that Ebixa might help improve his ability to carry out daily tasks like getting dressed. I tried my best to get her to prescribe both Ebixa and Exelon but she would not do this. She said that she could not recommend dual therapy as Bill was not displaying any behavioural symptoms. Fist of all I said I didn't want the Ebixa and he was kept on Exelon Eventually she said that she wanted to take him off this as his score was so low. I agreed to the Ebixa but we didn't persevere. Someone posted here that it has a sedative effect. This is what we found. Bill was extremely sleepy throughout the time he was on it. As he didn't need anything to combat behavioural symptoms I decided to take him off it. He now isn't on anything.
It's always hard to know if a drug is helping. It's impossible to know how a person would be if he/she were not on the drug. I always feel that Aricept gave Bill time. I feel it's worth trying what is offered. Everyone is different and if the person reacts well to a drug then it's worth going for it.
I'm sorry I've rambled on here! Thinking out loud.
It's always hard to know if a drug is helping. It's impossible to know how a person would be if he/she were not on the drug. I always feel that Aricept gave Bill time. I feel it's worth trying what is offered. Everyone is different and if the person reacts well to a drug then it's worth going for it.
I'm sorry I've rambled on here! Thinking out loud.
Ebixa
My wife, Merril, was prescribed Ebixa five weeks ago to run alongside the Aricept as the neurologist recognised her deteriorating condition. I managed to stop her taking the Ebixa 48 hours ago as it was having such a devastating effect on her. Washed-out, sleeping all day and feeling really rough. She is back to her more alert self now. I appreciate it affects different people in different ways but I wish I had stopped it sooner.
My wife, Merril, was prescribed Ebixa five weeks ago to run alongside the Aricept as the neurologist recognised her deteriorating condition. I managed to stop her taking the Ebixa 48 hours ago as it was having such a devastating effect on her. Washed-out, sleeping all day and feeling really rough. She is back to her more alert self now. I appreciate it affects different people in different ways but I wish I had stopped it sooner.
My husband (middle stage alzeimers) was unable to take any medication due to his heart condition. However about three months ago the consultant said that this relatively new drug (memantine) would be quite safe for him and so it was prescribed.
I have to say that almost immediately I noticed a big improvement in his anxiety and agitation and he was much calmer. He has always been quite sleepy in the day and this stayed the same. It does have a sedating effect I think but this is not a bad thing.
I have not noticed any improvement in his memory at all but certainly no worse than before he went on this drug.
Hope this helps.