Donezpil - can it make memory worse

[Debblaze]

hi all

My mum is now taking 10mg of donezpil (if that’s how it’s spelt) and I’m wondering if a side effect is memory being worse than before taking?

Mum tolerated it well however does at time have loose stools but I’ve noticed more of a decline in memory although only diagnosed in August and now being on donezpil for 11 weeks now.

Thank you in advance x

 

[canary]

Donepezil doesnt have the side-effect of making memory worse - the side effects are stomach upset, nausea and aggressive behaviour, although not everyone has these. I guess the loose stools are a side-effect.

Donepezil doesnt, however improve the memory or stop further memory loss. With dementia there is progressive memory loss and the donepezil slows this down, but doesnt stop it. it doesnt always work either, so it may be that you are just seeing the normal decline, but its hard to tell what it would have been like without the donepezil.

 

[Debblaze]

Donepezil doesnt have the side-effect of making memory worse - the side effects are stomach upset, nausea and aggressive behaviour, although not everyone has these. I guess the loose stools are a side-effect.

Donepezil doesnt, however improve the memory or stop further memory loss. With dementia there is progressive memory loss and the donepezil slows this down, but doesnt stop it. it doesnt always work either, so it may be that you are just seeing the normal decline, but its hard to tell what it would have been like without the donepezil.

Thanks canary

I knew it didn’t improve or stop it but was told it could help to keep things as they were for a while but this again I knew was not effective in everyone.

I’m currently in touch with a research team that my mum has agreed to go on but this is very early stages so don’t know what will come of it, we just didn’t expect a decline in memory as quick as a couple of months

 

[Kevinl]

There's no one straight answer as to how people respond to any medication, penicillin has save many millions of lives since it was discovered, however, the first time it was prescribed for our (then very young child) he ended up spending weeks in intensive care as he had a severe allergy to it. Same goes for food products, some people can't do; gluten, dairy, shellfish and the big one nuts, most people don't have an issue with them but they aren't good for everyone.
Donepezil (and yes, you did spell it correctly) is widely prescribed and generally well tolerated and can slow down the progress of the disease in something between 40 and 70% of people but that's all it may do, slow down the progress it can't improve the condition or reverse it.
What you're describing sound like adverse side effects and so I would report them to her GP/memory clinic and get their opinion.
Donepezil and a number of similar drugs were withdrawn for prescription in France this summer as the French government's medical people decided that the side effects outweighed the benefits and withdrew financing them on prescription so they place little faith in that type of medication, who knows possibly this country may follow suit.
It is worth asking the GP as if her quality of life is better without the medication then it may be better to stop it, also the bowel problem may need looking at in case it is a separate not related condition which may be treatable.
It's pretty common (so the nurses at the home tell me) for people on Donepezil not to tolerate cream, not dairy just very rich cream desserts, my wife has issues and since they put her on the no cream list and no eggs either it hasn't happened since, fingers crossed it works.
K