Memantine

[Campbell]

Hello,

I'd like to hear from members who have any experience of the drug memantine please. It's been recommended for my Dad who is 77 years old. He can't take Aricept or any others from that family of drugs as he has a mild heart condition. Is Memantine really effective and does it help to improve everyday function. What were your experiences of the side effects. We've also been told that he cannot get this on the NHS so we have to pay for it privately. Any idea of costs? Thanks.

 

[nitram]

Side effects
http://www.ebixa.com/about_ebixa/safety_and_tolerability/

Your Dad should be able to get Menantine on the NHS

"...memantine is now recommended as an option for managing moderate Alzheimer's disease for people who cannot take AChE inhibitors, and as an option for managing severe Alzheimer's disease...."

My enbolding

http://publications.nice.org.uk/don...for-the-treatment-of-alzheimers-disease-ta217



Although consitipation has returned after switching from Aricept and there was some increase anxiaty at week 3 of titration I think that Menantine is helping -Lewy body severe degree.

Cost is

 

[hollycat]

Hello campbell

My mum has been taking it for 3 weeks now. She has never taken a tablet in her life. During the first week she became unusually tired, however, she now seems ok. She has done

Week 1 5mg
Week 2 10mg
Week 3 15mg
And week 4 will be 20mg

Because of mums slow heart consultant advised that she was very limited on the amount of tablets available for her, as I believe that most normal tablets slow the heart down.....I stress this is something I believe to be true.

Having read up on memantine on the internet, it appears to be given to mid to late stages. I again believe that it is quite an expensive tablet, so perhaps that explains the funding question you asked, though mum is getting it on the national health (county of northumberland).

I feel certain that someone will come along and offer you a far better explanation from their personal experience.

In summary, in just 3 weeks it has been difficult to really notice any sort of change in my mum, but it is only 3 weeks. She has had no side effects.
Tks

 

[tre]

memantine( Ebixa) seems to be helping.

I have had a struggle to get Memantine prescribed for my husband. We live in Herts but despite David having to come off Aricept and Herts PCT saying they follow the NICE guidelines the consultant had to write to Herts Partnership Trust to get permission to prescribe. I have tried to find out the whys and wherefores of this additional hurdle but without success.
Whilst I was going through the process I found the costs for memantine are shown on the NICE website. It says Treatment Initiation Pack - 7x 5mg, 7x 10mg, 7x 15mg and 7x20mg costs £43.13. 10mgx 28 days is listed at £34.50, 20mg x 28 days is £69.01. So the drug itself is not that expensive but the cost of a private consultation and prescription may be.
Any way David is now on his third week up to 15 mg dose. since the first week on the drug he starting sleeping through the night which he has not done since about April. His anxiety is improving and with regard to his cognitative state when asked a question by a friend yesterday he answered "not particularly". Our friend was amazed as we have only had yes/no answers for weeks. He is more alert and in the last week has started cracking jokes like he used too and has lost the haunted expression he had recently. We have had no problems with side effects. David takes no other medication but does have an unusual variant of AD called PCA.
I do not know how long any of the improvements will last but I am absolutely delighted and would definitely give it a try.
Tre

 

[geordie]

My mother has been taking (NHS prescription since NICE recs) for nearly a year.Aslo takes Aricpet. Does it have a postive effect - difficult to say but I would lean towards yes probably. Experienced severe headaches during dose build up phase - so much so that we did not progress to full dose at usual rate - these reduced, although still complains of some headache problem . Just from an individual perspective, I did alot of research/ reading/forum requests and concluded more to possibly gain than loose by going for it .Good luck .

 

[nitram]

...
the cost of a private consultation and prescription may be.

Private prescriptions are free if the prescriber considered there to be a medical need.
The initial prescription would have to be made on the advice of a consultant.

"...If I would like a drug that is not available on the NHS can my doctor write me a private prescription for it?
Any doctor can write a private prescription for a patient if they feel it is clinically appropriate and they are happy to take responsibility for that prescribing decision. Under the NHS regulations, a GP or his deputy can write a private prescription for a patient but cannot charge the patient for writing a private prescription if the patient is registered for NHS care with that GP or any other GP in the same practice.

The only exceptions to this rule are when an NHS GP writes either a private prescription for drugs that are requested by the patient 'just in case' of the onset of illness while outside the UK, or else when a private prescription is required for the prevention (chemoprophylaxis) of malaria. ..."

http://www.bma.org.uk/health_promotion_ethics/drugs_prescribing/InfoOnPrescrib0904.jsp?page=2

 

[KatherineW]

Hi Campbell, and others posting to this thread

Our Knowledge Services Manager has been following this thread with interest and contacted me with the below information on Memantine (Ebixa):

1. Memantine has been recommended on the NHS since NICE approval in March 2011. PCTs have 3 months to implement NICE guidance, so no-one who qualifies clinically should have been told they have to go private since June 2011.

2. It is recommended for people with moderate Alzheimer's disease (or mixed dementia) when ACE inhibitors like Aricept can't be taken, or for people presenting with severe Alzheimer's disease. It is - on average- likely to slow or stabilise someone's rate of cognitive decline rather than improve it even temporarily, but may help with other behavioural symptoms. However, everyone is different of course and some may do better than others and see improvements.

3. Trials in press suggest that staying on Aricept while moving onto Ebixa is best, so anyone getting this combined treatment is lucky - it's too early for NICE to be recommending this however.

Hope this is helpful,

Best wishes,

 

[Campbell]

This is all really helpful. Thanks a lot!

 

[winda]

My husband has been on Memantine (private prescription) since July of this year. he was already on Aricept but after reading evidence of research we decided to ask for it. We have been told that we would not be allowed to have both drugs on the NHS.

My husband has had no side effects and initially we noticed (the consultant and myself), that he was much more relaxed and his short-term memory slightly improved. My husband seems to have deteriorated slightly since but the consultant still thinks that it is a good idea for him to be on both as he says it can help particularly with behavioural problems (my husband can be verbally aggressive towards me at times).

I have heard that since the NICE guidelines have made it available on the NHS, then it may become cheaper in the future with competition between manufacturers.

I hope this helps. My husband is 75 by the way!