Aricept

Anniebell

Registered User
Jan 31, 2015
115
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Hello mums just been put on aricept will we notice a difference and how long before it kicks in she started taking it wed morning this week and when I saw her yesterday she seemed calmer and wasn't asking to go home like she normally does
Annie x
 
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opaline

Registered User
Nov 13, 2014
182
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As with any meds it could be a while but that's good that she seemed a bit better. Remember it only helps with the symptoms, not the cause. Mum's first prescription for Aricept was fine, then they started giving me an 'own brand' substitute (obviously cheaper) which was peach coloured and made her sick so she refused to take them. I just stopped collecting her prescription as I don't really see the point in masking the symptoms, anyway, xx
 

Anniebell

Registered User
Jan 31, 2015
115
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As with any meds it could be a while but that's good that she seemed a bit better. Remember it only helps with the symptoms, not the cause. Mum's first prescription for Aricept was fine, then they started giving me an 'own brand' substitute (obviously cheaper) which was peach coloured and made her sick so she refused to take them. I just stopped collecting her prescription as I don't really see the point in masking the symptoms, anyway, xx

Hi Opaline I know it only helps do you think it's normal practice to start them on the good stuff and then put them on a cheaper brand it doesn't seem fair everyone should get the best after all there isn't anything else they can do for our loved ones if they change mum and it has side effects will probably do the same as you the AD is enough to cope with By the way did you get your mum sorted ? Is she b12 deficient . Annie x
 

jules60

Registered User
Feb 28, 2015
7
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tyne and wear
Hi Anniebell

My mum in law was put onto Aricept 3 years ago and has benefited from taking them. Her memory is still not good, but I think we have been able to keep her in her own home (with supervision) and as independent as possible because she has been (until now) more able to cope with everyday tasks. However, we are now wondering if a change of meds is required because she has taken a downward turn slightly. Certainly in her case, the medication did help initially, although it does seem to have caused the side effect of ruuny nose and cold like symptoms. We noticed a difference in her general outlook within 4 weeks of her starting Aricept (10mg). Hope this helps:)
 

nitram

Registered User
Apr 6, 2011
30,081
0
Bury
"... Mum's first prescription for Aricept was fine, then they started giving me an 'own brand' substitute (obviously cheaper) which was peach coloured and made her sick so she refused to take them..."

Pharmacists should supply the cheapest medication that conforms to the doctor's prescription.

If the prescription said Aricept that is what should have been supplied, if the prescription said Donepezil Hydrochloride the pharmacist could supply any licenced medicine in the same form containing the correct dose of Donepezil Hydrochloride.

The active ingredient would be the same so the problem would have been the excipients, if you want Aricept supplied you should get the GP to put this on the prescription explaining the nausea problem. This may mean you have to search around pharmacies to get the medication, I know from experience that some pharmacies have minimum orders that they can place on suppliers.

If you go >>>HERE<<< you will get a list of all licenced suppliers and if you click on any of the SPCs and scroll down to 6.1 you will get a list of the excipients for that product.
 

Sammyjo1

Registered User
Jul 8, 2014
193
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My OH is on Donepezil and is benefitting hugely from it. He did have the peach coloured tablets once which seemed less effective but I had a word with the pharmacists and we got the white ones after that.
 

opaline

Registered User
Nov 13, 2014
182
0
Hi, Anniebell, apparently she's 'borderline', had her bloods checked for kidney and liver function because of the length of time she's been on Tegretol and all good, her neuralgia seems to have settled down but in saying that the dr has doubled her dosage from 100mgs 4 times a day to 200mgs 4 times a day so we'll see how that goes, x
 

Anniebell

Registered User
Jan 31, 2015
115
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Hi, Anniebell, apparently she's 'borderline', had her bloods checked for kidney and liver function because of the length of time she's been on Tegretol and all good, her neuralgia seems to have settled down but in saying that the dr has doubled her dosage from 100mgs 4 times a day to 200mgs 4 times a day so we'll see how that goes, x

Hi Opaline glad to hear your mums pain has settled down and all the tests are good mum had the gamma 3 weeks ago and ended up in hospital !!! Her pain has also settled down thank goodness I can just about manage mum but that PAIN drives me mad so let's hope our mums continue to be pain free for a while at least .Take Care Annie x
 

Anniebell

Registered User
Jan 31, 2015
115
0
Hi Anniebell

My mum in law was put onto Aricept 3 years ago and has benefited from taking them. Her memory is still not good, but I think we have been able to keep her in her own home (with supervision) and as independent as possible because she has been (until now) more able to cope with everyday tasks. However, we are now wondering if a change of meds is required because she has taken a downward turn slightly. Certainly in her case, the medication did help initially, although it does seem to have caused the side effect of ruuny nose and cold like symptoms. We noticed a difference in her general outlook within 4 weeks of her starting Aricept (10mg). Hope this helps:)

Hi Jules hope this aricept does the same for mum ss are talking about mum moving into care she can't do anything in her home apart from a bit of tidying and I'm trying to keep mum as independant as I can also when my dad was ill just before he passed I told him I would look after mum and if she has to go into care I will feel like I've let him down Thanks for your reply take care Annie x
 

Anniebell

Registered User
Jan 31, 2015
115
0
My OH is on Donepezil and is benefitting hugely from it. He did have the peach coloured tablets once which seemed less effective but I had a word with the pharmacists and we got the white ones after that.

Hi Sammyjo this aricept sound promising I know it's not a cure but if it helps with quality of life that's all we can ask I went to chemist for mums and because it said aricept on the script they had to order it in I will be making sure it says aricept on the next one
thanks for your reply Take Care Annie x
 

Rosie2

Registered User
May 17, 2008
47
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Hello mums just been put on aricept will we notice a difference and how long before it kicks in she started taking it wed morning this week and when I saw her yesterday she seemed calmer and wasn't asking to go home like she normally does
Annie x

My husband was very receptive to aricept. The doctor said it would take a few weeks to take affect but I noticed changes for the better within four days. Twice they tried to reduce the dose (due to low score on the MMSE) and he started to lose his abilities within the week.
It's finally being taken away for good as he is moving into late stages now.
So this maybe a very good sign for your mum.
 

Linbrusco

Registered User
Mar 4, 2013
1,694
0
Auckland...... New Zealand
My Mum was started on 5mg Donepezil (white tablets) in Dec 13.
Within a few weeks we noticed she was less anxious and agitated.
In March14 she was put on 10mg but she got tummy upsets and constipation, so after a few weeks was reduced to 5mg.
Mums memory has definitely declined, and compared to her MMSE test in Aug 13 where she scored 19/30 without a doubt now it would be lower.
Alz Key worker did say we just wouldn't know how much more Mum would have declined in the last year or so without it.
The anxiety and agitation is starting to creep in again, but only because Mums memory is worsened I feel.
 

Optomistic

Registered User
Jul 24, 2014
127
0
Manchester
My husband started on Donzepezil in August 5mg and right away he improved within a few days of taking it he was wiring a plug. He is now on 10mg and had no problems at all his tablets are peach coloured and he has never had the Aricept type. He still has a poor memory but can play bingo, read and watch t.v and we go our everyday.
 

Kevinl

Registered User
Aug 24, 2013
6,064
0
Salford
My OH is on Donepezil and is benefitting hugely from it. He did have the peach coloured tablets once which seemed less effective but I had a word with the pharmacists and we got the white ones after that.

Aricept is Donepezil Hydrochloride (empirical formula of C24H29NO3HCl, http://www.rxlist.com/aricept-drug.htm).
Aricept is the trade name is was branded under when it was first licenced after the licence runs out (usually 15 years) then it can be made under a generic name.
Aricept when it came out was very expensive and so rarely prescribed so when the licence ran out 2 years ago we all celebrated on here and now just about everyone gets it http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/press_article.php?pressReleaseID=769
Any perception that the branded product is better than the generic one it probably just that a perception other than some colouring it's the same thing.
It's a shame the system works this way many medicines are so expensive NICE won't licence them on grounds of cost, cancer drugs are an example and specifically some breast cancer drugs, it's no use to you if you have cancer knowing that in a few years time when the drug goes generic you'll get it, you need it now.
My wife got on Aricept "as a trial" before it was generally available, since then she was moved on to Donepezil, I've never noticed any difference.
I think it's just a case of Waitrose beans taste better than Aldi ones because they cost more, if your doctor said they would/are only allowed to prescribe Donepezil I wouldn't be surprised, why waste NHS money.
K
 

Anniebell

Registered User
Jan 31, 2015
115
0
My husband was very receptive to aricept. The doctor said it would take a few weeks to take affect but I noticed changes for the better within four days. Twice they tried to reduce the dose (due to low score on the MMSE) and he started to lose his abilities within the week.
It's finally being taken away for good as he is moving into late stages now.
So this maybe a very good sign for your mum.

Thanks Rosie I thought it was just wishful thinking on my part but my brother says he has noticed a difference in mum she's in hospital at the moment and seems quite settled mums on 5 mg and the physchiartrist says he will assess her again in 2 weeks if she is ok and there are no side effects he will up the dose to 10 sorry to hear your husband is moving into late stages I'm thinking about you Take Care Rosie love Annie xxx
 

Anniebell

Registered User
Jan 31, 2015
115
0
Aricept is Donepezil Hydrochloride (empirical formula of C24H29NO3HCl, http://www.rxlist.com/aricept-drug.htm).
Aricept is the trade name is was branded under when it was first licenced after the licence runs out (usually 15 years) then it can be made under a generic name.
Aricept when it came out was very expensive and so rarely prescribed so when the licence ran out 2 years ago we all celebrated on here and now just about everyone gets it http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/press_article.php?pressReleaseID=769
Any perception that the branded product is better than the generic one it probably just that a perception other than some colouring it's the same thing.
It's a shame the system works this way many medicines are so expensive NICE won't licence them on grounds of cost, cancer drugs are an example and specifically some breast cancer drugs, it's no use to you if you have cancer knowing that in a few years time when the drug goes generic you'll get it, you need it now.
My wife got on Aricept "as a trial" before it was generally available, since then she was moved on to Donepezil, I've never noticed any difference.
I think it's just a case of Waitrose beans taste better than Aldi ones because they cost more, if your doctor said they would/are only allowed to prescribe Donepezil I wouldn't be surprised, why waste NHS money.
K
Hi Kevini see where your comin from im fully expecting mums aricept to change when mums handed back into the care of her GP and if like you if we don't have a choice and we don't notice a difference then all well and good and I'll be happy if it does the job Saying that it's only natural that we all want the best for our loved ones tahnks for your reply Take Care Annie x
 

opaline

Registered User
Nov 13, 2014
182
0
Kevini, if Mum was ok with the Aricept (white pills) but 'own brand' donepezil hydrochloride made her feel sick and dizzy (peach coloured and a different shape) then surely there must be an extra ingredient that is causing the nausea? The peach ones did say they were coated and I wondered whether it could be something in the coating? x
 

nitram

Registered User
Apr 6, 2011
30,081
0
Bury
"...I wondered whether it could be something in the coating? ..."

More likely one of the exipients
http://forum.alzheimers.org.uk/showthread.php?80342-Aricept&p=1066070&viewfull=1#post1066070

Exipients are the non active ingredients added to dilute the medication, increase the bulk, bind everything together, add colour, ...

EDIT

Excipients with known effects are listed in 2 in the SPC

e.g.

Excipient with known effect: Lactose monohydrate 196.00 mg


https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/medicine/25853
 
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Sammyjo1

Registered User
Jul 8, 2014
193
0
I'm with opaline here. Although all the packets are labelled "Donepezil 10mg" I think there is something different about the peach coloured tablets. For a start, OH had a couple of disturbed nights after starting on the peach ones and I felt his overall capacity was reduced for the month he was on them.

He's now back on the white ones (still Donepezil rather than Aricept) and seems to have improved again

I think there are a few people on here who have had bad experiences with the peach coloured tablets so, if someone is taking those and not doing well, it might be worth asking for a change. The white ones are marketed by Jubilant Pharmaceuticals. I don't have the name for the peach ones.
 

Kevinl

Registered User
Aug 24, 2013
6,064
0
Salford
My wife doesn't have a reaction to the peach ones, it's a bit of a lottery what she gets, the prescription says Donepezil but sometimes we get Aricept and we've had several different manufacturers brand of Donepezil. It seem odd that the "excipients" would be anything that would cause any reaction, however, I do know people who can only take one brand of Paracetamol so I guess it can only be that.
Given that as Nitram says all these ingredients do is bulk and bind the active ingredients you do have to wonder why they need this lot of excipients-

Tablet core: Lactose monohydrate, Maize starch, Cellulose microcrystalline, Low-substituted hydroxypropyl cellulose, Magnesium stearate.
Tablet Coating: Hypromellose (E464), Macrogol 400, Talc (E553b), Titanium dioxide (E171), Iron oxide yellow (E172).

There's a lot in there that could cause a reaction.
K