Anyone heard of memantine

[NewKid]

Hello Bruce, I just picked up your thread as I am interested in the effects of Memantine/ Ebixa. I just wanted to send you my best wishes as you are obviously very worried about your wife and trying to work out what is best. I hepe you get some good advice and comfort

 

[Bruce1]

Thanks for the replies.

Hello Echo, your experiences with Memantine seem very good. Other people in this forum have said the same, but I know everyone is different. It was great to get the replies from people taking Memantine themselves. It’s good to know that for some people at least it does work.

Hi Zoe, I’m sure that your right to say, that if your in a strange place (and the ward is a very strange place indeed) people become agitated. The problem is that my wife was agitated and aggressive before she went to the hospital. She never was violent before her Alzheimer’s and my hope was that the time in hospital would provide a place to sort out her medication etc in a safe place. I was finding it hard to cope with things before the hospital but thought that it would improve her condition. I was shocked to here from the nurses that few people from the hospital are discharged back to their homes and most go to Care Homes.

Hello Newkid; I am worried about my wife and her future. She has been in hospital now for 7 weeks and there seems to be a growing consensus of medical opinion that I will not be able to cope with looking after her at home. I’ve won the battle to get her to try Memantine and it did seem to be working. Yesterday, however, she was angry with me and seemed to have some of the same ideas that she had when she was on Aricept. I haven’t given up hope yet!

Thank you all again for taking the time to reply.

Kind regards

Bruce

 

[NewKid]

Hello Bruce, good luck to you and your wife. I am glad you pushed - and got - Memantine, I hope it works a little. I mentioned this to my Mum's CPN just yesterday - in Coventry - and he said... no can do! (NICE guidelines..) Not given up though, elsewhere someone said they pay for it themselves.

 

[Bruce1]

Hi NewKid, Thanks for your good wishes. My wife does seem to be getting less confused and she is a lot less agressive now she is on Memantine. Sorry to hear that you are having trouble in getting this drug.

There is a great deal of confusion regarding this medication as our CPN (a very helpful person) was under the impression that (in a no Memantine PCT) is was just not available.

It was only when My wife was admitted to hospital and I discovered that there were people on the ward already on the drug that I asked the doctor if we could try it.

Even when it was agreed that she could try some of the nursing staff were very doubtful that it was worth a shot. They said that if one anticholinesterases had not worked there was not much point in trying another.

I made myself very unpopular by telling them that Memantine is not an anticholinesterase. I didn't mean to undermine their profesional status or be a clever clogs I just wanted them to keep an open mind on the matter.

I think it would be a good idea in your situation to see what the consultant or doctor has to say. Your consultant should review things every so often anyway and GP's can also be helpful. In, no Memantine areas, the nursing staff can have no experience or knowledge of it.

It's not a wonder drug and despite the progress the hospital still think that my wife should go into a care home but that's a battle for another day.

There's no doubt in my mind, however, that it does work for some people. The article at www.memantine.org is worth a look.

Hope things go well for you

Kind regards

Bruce