prescription drugs for Alzheimer's diseaseThe Food and Drug Administration has approved certain prescription drugs for Alzheimer’s patients. Treating the symptoms of AD can provide patients with comfort, dignity, and independence for a longer period of time and can encourage and assist their caregivers as well. It is important to understand that none of these medications stops the disease itself.

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In This Alzheimer’s Article:

 

 

Treatment For Mild to Moderate Alzheimer’s Disease
Treatment for Moderate to Severe Alzheimer’s Disease
Dosage and Side Effects of Alzheimer’s Disease Drugs

 

Treatment for Mild to Moderate Alzheimer’s Disease

alzheimers diseaseMedications called cholinesterase inhibitors are prescribed for mild to moderate AD. These drugs may help delay or prevent symptoms from becoming worse for a limited time and may help control some behavioral symptoms. The medications include: Razadyne® (galantamine), previously known as Reminyl®, Exelon® (rivastigmine), Aricept® (donepezil) and Cognex® (tacrine). Cognex® is no longer actively marketed by the manufacturer and is not listed on the chart on the other side of this fact sheet. Scientists do not yet fully understand how cholinesterase inhibitors work to treat AD, but current research indicates that they prevent the breakdown of acetylcholine, a brain chemical believed to be important for memory and thinking. As AD progresses, the brain produces less and less acetylcholine; therefore, cholinesterase inhibitors may eventually lose their effect.

No published study directly compares these drugs. Because they work in a similar way, it is not expected that switching from one of these drugs to another will produce significantly different results. However, an AD patient may respond better to one drug than another.

Treatment for Moderate to Severe Alzheimer’s Disease

A medication known as Namenda® (memantine) is an N-methyl D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonist and is prescribed for the treatment of moderate to severe AD. Studies have shown that the main effect of Namenda® is to delay progression of some of the symptoms of moderate to severe AD. The medication may allow patients to maintain certain daily functions a little longer. For example, Namenda® may help a patient in the later stages of AD maintain his or her ability to go to the bathroom independently for several more months, a benefit for both patients and caregivers.

Namenda® is believed to work by regulating glutamate, another important brain chemical that, when produced in excessive amounts, may lead to brain cell death. Because NMDA antagonists work very differently from cholinesterase inhibitors, the two types of drugs can be prescribed in combination. The FDA has also approved Aricept® for the treatment of moderate to severe AD.

Dosage and Side Effects of Alzheimer’s Disease Drugs

Doctors usually start patients at low drug doses and gradually increase the dosage based on how well a patient tolerates the drug. There is some evidence that certain patients may benefit from higher doses of the cholinesterase inhibitor medications. However, the higher the dose, the more likely are side effects. The recommended effective dosages of the drugs prescribed to treat mild to moderate, and moderate to severe AD are summarized in the table on the other side.

Patients may be drug‑sensitive in other ways, and they should be monitored when a drug is started. Report any unusual symptoms to the prescribing doctor right away. It is important to follow the doctor’s instructions when taking any medication, including vitamins and herbal supplements. Also, let the doctor know before adding or changing any medications.

For More Information, please visit the National Institute of Aging

 

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