My husband was prescribed Aricept for his frontotemporal dementia and took it for about a year. It was developed for Alzheimer's but is used in other dementia's due to the lack of other meds. It didn't seem to slow the disease to a noticeable degree. He did, however, have a severe side effect. He had an ulcer bleed out requiring hospitalization for five days.
My husband was prescribed generic Aricept (donepezil) for mild cognitive impairment to slow down further deterioration. He was started at 5 mg to see if he would tolerate the drug without gastric effects. After a month with no problems, he was increased to the regular starting dose of 10 mg. This dose increased his ability to converse and socialize. The neurologist also prescribed generic Xanax for his increasing anxiety in noisy social situations. I was reluctant to use it as it is addictive and can have fatal effects if mixed with alcohol or other sedating drugs. I was advised to use 1/2-1 pill of the smallest dose no more than 1-2x/week. This week I tried it and he was able to play music at a concert in a noisy environment and even joke with people who complimented our playing.
Before taking Aricept, tell your doctor if you have a heart rhythm disorder such as "sick sinus syndrome" (slow heartbeats), an enlarged prostate, urination problems, asthma, obstructive pulmonary disease, or a seizure disorder such as epilepsy. Found this on the side effects of the drug. According to the nurse that came to visit my mother on her initial visit these types of drugs have side effect. She told me after one year of using the drug her mother ended up with a pace maker. My mother and I agreed that at 86 she wasn't willing to risk the side effects for something that may or may not help her. I would research the side effects and weight the plus and minuses! Good luck!
Both of my parents have been on Aricept with their dementias. My Dad was on it for years, with no trouble....started at a very low dosage to help preserve his memory back when his cognitive dementia was considered mild and all the way to his current severe dementia. They've now stopped it, in the past 6 months, since he's in a memory care unit as the doctors feel there is no further help from it, and they had other meds he needed that would also affect his brain, so just wanted to keep the least amount of brain affecting drugs being used. My Mom started on it just a couple months ago, and she had to stop because the lowest dose caused her to have persistent diarrhea...which is a listed side effect. Because her dementia is early and mild right now, the neurologist said she could stop it and we would re evaluate if she was better or worse by this coming December.
All good posts. Aricept is not the "fix-all" drug for dementia/Alz. The side effects depend on each person's body. Personally, we used it for my husband and saw no differences after 5 years of use. We stopped it and saw no difference. It is overpriced and over prescribed. Read all about it before use. Watch diligently for side effects. Blessings. Advocate for your loved one.
Some patients tolerate Aricept, but know there is no cure for dementia no matter the cause. Aricept has many side effects and could cause more problems than it will help. My husband could not take even the smallest dose. I tried it and became hypomanic. Everyone is different, but dementia doesn't stop its terminal course.
My mom's been on it for 6 months and it hasn't helped at all in fact, her dementia seems to be accelerating. The doctor told me it doesn't always work and that although it may slow down the progression, it's not going to stop it.
My husband was put on Aricept right after being diagnosed, 5 years ago. No problem, and no help either. Also on Namenda, twice a day. Again, no problem, and no help either. Would like to stop , he doesn't always understand 'swallow' with his drink and will chew his pills. Not sure what would happen tho. A doctor once told me these drugs are no benefit to the patient, they are merely to help the caregiver control the patient. Not sure what that means either!!
Thanks guys! She took her first 5mg last night was very sick this morning just nausea. I will give it awhile if she is going to be sick all the time then i will stop it. I heard that coconut oil is just as effective and zero side effects? shes on so many tablets so why make her even more sick. Right now I just want her to be well couldnt bear her to be sick all the time and hypomanic?????? god no shes manic enough as it is. Yesterday NEW symptom she was at me all day even following me into the kitchen to tell me this needs to be done that needs to be done ring this number MANIC ive learnt that just lie and say ok thats sorted then she calms down again. This is new as never seen her like this then today shes calm again PHEW!!!!! Thank god for a hot bath its become my sanctuary! I will admit thought that since we got diagnosis im alot more patient with her although ive been crying my eyes out the last 3 days I guess this is the reality of whats happening is setting in. Dosnt matter that i knew for a long time the diagnosis felt like someone had given me a BLOW to the head. So sad she dosnt deserve this her whole life has been nothing but illness and hardship i just want to do as much as I can with her now while I can. So frustrating when ive no car or money makes me so angry as i want to bring her everywhere before its too late. On a positve siblings are slowly waking up??
Aricept can have significant side effects. It caused problems for my mother -insomnia and what I guess were hallucinations and a lot of confusion. She could not sleep and would be totally out of it at night -in & out of bed every few minutes, getting down in the floor, back & forth to bathroom, horrible confusion -to the extent I had to hire sitters to stay at night with her. The doctor did change the med to morning instead of evening, but frankly I did not see that this med helped her although changing it to morning did help some. Mom had dementia.
What I found astounding was that many Dr.'s said they weren't aware of any problems Arricept caused and one of them even told me it couldn't cause sleeplessness -wasn't possible.... Well, read the freaking label or listen to your patients :( Problem with most of the meds prescribed for dementia is that they have horrendous side effects for many people that can create more problems or worsen what you're dealing with. As caregivers we suffer right along with our loved ones because their brain's are so wacked out from either the disease or the meds that it's impossible for them to be comfortable -there is so little we can do that can effect that reality.
Yes ive heard of hallucinations with this her doctor did say everyone is different but he will try something else if this dosnt suit her. Any signs of hallucinations or insomnia or other "mad stuff" then shes off them an hallucination would scare the hell out of her shes always been terrified of ghosts or anything like that. We had a break in last year I was a basket case after it SHE was ok and said " id rather a burglar in my room than a ghost"?? Me id rather a ghost!! No my mum would freak with hallucinations so lets hope its just nausea. Its very interesting how so many here have different stories on aricept and very few say it worked??
As far as coconut oil is concerned....you try anything. You never know. It did not work for my husband, but many people say it has helped their loved one. But my husband is very different, not like the 'regular' alzheimer patients!
My Dad is on aricept. It has not slowed his progression, but he is calmer and seems more content. I'll take that any day to an angry upset dad! He was a bit of a handful when he first moved here, but when we increased his dose to 10mg he settled in. He likes to do chores again (that he can handle) and is less likely to get upset over things and stubborn. I guess we were lucky. Also, I have found it very affordable, about $10. for the month. I wish his other meds were this cheap!
My Mom had severe diarrhea and nightmares. She had to go off of it. Turns out she probably didn't have AD to begin with. She ended up going off of her Parkinson's medication, and most of the symptoms of the AD went with the medication. She's now feeling much better after going off both of those medications.
The BIG question is what else is the patient on? Talk to your pharmacist about what should be given first and how to correctly time space apart each drug.
That's what is so difficult with all of this. Everyone can react differently. We really didn't find anything that didn't cause more problems than what we were trying to avoid or help. Think the only thing you can do at this point is try what they recommend and then raise cain to get them off of it if it is not working or is causing additional problems. The doctors are only relying on what info is out there and there just isn't enough available for dementia or alzheimers. They end up trying to control symptoms and it's frequently not a good answer. When & how to coordinate the meds is necessary, I agree. Sometimes too I think we just need to try elimination. Doctors & PA's can frequently be guilty of trying too much and it backfires on the patients and caregivers -nightmares for all!
Folks, know that no pill will change a dementia diagnosis. Doctors give Aricept, Namenda, and others just to say they are trying to "help", but these drugs have more side effects than benefits. Since the diagnosis will not change, the patient is not really helped, then with the constipating side effects, why would anyone subject their loved one to these drugs? But, you must decide. My husband doesn't take any of those meds and I don't try and "control" him. I just let him explode now and then, walk away, and when I return, he has calmed down and forgotten what it was he was angry about...Sleeplessness, try Melatonin about 1.5 - 3 mg. over-the-counter. Isn't a drug, won't cause addiction, and your loved one will get some sleep. Combative behaviors? Leave them alone and do not confront, just walk away. Try simple measures instead of drugs. That's what I do and I am trained in medicine.
As a retired RN, I SO agree with you! My Dad took these drugs when he was handling himself OK, on advice of his neurologist. In early dementia, if no side effects, they may have kept him functioning better...who knows. He got 8 more years of life, functioning fairly well. BUT, what I see with how those not educated in medicine, nursing and such, assume with these drugs, IS that they will 'reverse' the illness effects. My Mom was one. She still thinks someone can give my dad some drug that will make all this 'better' and he will be able to be like he was 5 years ago. It's what she talks about all the time, what she hopes for. And even though she did not take the initiative to be feeding him well all his life, NOW, when the disease is severe, she thinks if 'someone' would be there to feed him the right foods and 'make' him eat them, he would get better! Now that he has no teeth, must be on a soft diet, and is getting better nutrition in his facility than she was providing at home, she constantly criticizes their food choices and say it's keeping him from getting well. I generally don't want to try any mind altering drugs...preferring natural care first. I use essential oils for my chronic pain and get better results than I got with narcotics and all their side effects! I agree with Melatonin too. Got my dad to try that early on....but later in his disease if the doc didn't order it, he was having nothing to do with trying anything new. As Dad's very smart caregiver used to say to my Mom, " It becomes time, at some point, to simply say, It IS what it IS....and give him lots of love, hugs and support rather than push and criticize him all the time for what happens or how he acts". That however, used to just make Mom mad. And now it's her turn to go through it all herself.
Thanks 4 days now and just nausea as ive said ill give it a month but if she is going to be sick everyday then no way. My mum is a little calmer but i think this is just a phase of the dementia shes going through she just seems in a world of her own but in good mood not depressed. I agree that I am not too keen on giving them anymore drugs unless it really helps. Its suppose to slow down the deterioration if this gives us more time with her then we will see if she starts to deteriorate anyway then ill take her off them.
So frustrating when ive no car or money makes me so angry as i want to bring her everywhere before its too late.
On a positve siblings are slowly waking up??
What I found astounding was that many Dr.'s said they weren't aware of any problems Arricept caused and one of them even told me it couldn't cause sleeplessness -wasn't possible.... Well, read the freaking label or listen to your patients :( Problem with most of the meds prescribed for dementia is that they have horrendous side effects for many people that can create more problems or worsen what you're dealing with. As caregivers we suffer right along with our loved ones because their brain's are so wacked out from either the disease or the meds that it's impossible for them to be comfortable -there is so little we can do that can effect that reality.
Any signs of hallucinations or insomnia or other "mad stuff" then shes off them an hallucination would scare the hell out of her shes always been terrified of ghosts or anything like that.
We had a break in last year I was a basket case after it SHE was ok and said " id rather a burglar in my room than a ghost"?? Me id rather a ghost!! No my mum would freak with hallucinations so lets hope its just nausea. Its very interesting how so many here have different stories on aricept and very few say it worked??