• Aricept is the most widely prescribed medication in a class of Alzheimer’s drugs known as cholinesterase inhibitors. Close to 50% of people stop taking it within a year because of side effects such as weight loss, agitation, and fainting, or because they no longer see any improvements in their mental abilities.

Common side effects of Aricept include: diarrhea, insomnia, and nausea. Other side effects include: fatigue, muscle cramps, vomiting, weight loss, anorexia, and ecchymoses.

Can Aricept make dementia worse?

The traditional memory medications, cholinesterase inhibitors such as Aricept , may make this form of dementia worse and are usually not recommended.

Can donepezil cause more confusion?

Donepezil can cause tiredness, dizziness, drowsiness, confusion and muscle cramps.

Can you just stop taking Aricept?

Terminating treatment, especially abruptly , is not without consequences for the patient. It has been reported that intense hallucinations can occur after sudden donepezil withdrawal [2]. One published study has suggested that discontinuation of treatment with donepezil may bring withdrawal symptoms [3].

What does Aricept do to the brain?

Aricept (donepezil) improves the function of nerve cells in the brain . It works by preventing the breakdown of a chemical called acetylcholine (ah SEET il KOE leen). People with dementia usually have lower levels of this chemical, which is important for the processes of memory, thinking, and reasoning.

What medications make dementia worse?

New research links certain medications to dementia risk amitriptyline , paroxetine, and bupropion (most commonly taken for depression) oxybutynin and tolterodine (taken for an overactive bladder) diphenhydramine (a common antihistamine, as found in Benadryl ).

What should you not say to someone with dementia?

“The development of this list has sometimes been taken the wrong way by family care partners. Don’t say ‘but you don’t look or sound like you have dementia ‘. Don’t tell us ‘ we are wrong’. Don’t argue with us or correct trivial things. Don’t say ‘remember when…’.

What happens when you stop taking Aricept?

Aricept is the most widely prescribed medication in a class of Alzheimer’s drugs known as cholinesterase inhibitors. Close to 50% of people stop taking it within a year because of side effects such as weight loss, agitation, and fainting, or because they no longer see any improvements in their mental abilities.

How does peanut butter detect Alzheimer’s?

The researchers discovered that those who had an impaired sense of smell in the left nostril had early-stage Alzheimer’s . They noted that the participants needed to be an average of 10 centimeters closer to the peanut butter container in order to smell it from their left nostril compared to their right nostril.

What are the possible side effects to Aricept donepezil?

Nausea , vomiting , diarrhea, loss of appetite/weight loss, dizziness, drowsiness, weakness , trouble sleeping, shakiness (tremor), or muscle cramps may occur as your body adjusts to the drug. These effects usually last 1-3 weeks and then lessen.

Does Aricept cause nightmares?

Donepezil ( Aricept ) and rivastigmine (Exelon), medications used to treat dementia in Alzheimer’s patients, affect sleep quality — specifically, the quality and amount of dreaming. Interestingly, researchers found that donepezil taken at night increased nightmares , but a morning dose had no such effect.

Can donepezil cause anger?

The manufacturer reports that 5% of patients taking donepezil have developed agitation, although only 1% with physical aggression (personal communica- tion). We suggest the need for close specialist monitoring of this recently licensed drug.

Is there an alternative to donepezil?

Galantamine (Razadyne) Galantamine works just as well as donepezil and rivastigmine at controlling symptoms of AD.

At what stage of dementia does Sundowning occur?

It typically peaks in the middle stages of Alzheimer’s, and then diminishes as the disease progresses. Scientists don’t completely understand why sleep disturbances occur with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia .

Do pharmacists really recommend prevagen?

ROLE OF THE PHARMACIST According to the 2019-2020 Pharmacy Times^® OTC national survey, Prevagen is the number-1 pharmacist – recommended memory support brand among pharmacists who recommend memory support products.

What is the number one food that fights dementia?

Researchers developed the diet by looking at the Mediterranean and DASH diets, then focusing on the foods with the most compelling findings in dementia prevention. Vegetables , especially leafy greens , rose to the top. In general, fruit didn’t, though berries made the list.