My husbands doctor has prescribed Namenda - anyone else used this in late stage?

Jamaicabound

My DH is in late stage and the biggest issue I have is hygiene, especially with bowel movements.  He gets very irritated and refuses to clean.  His doctor prescribed Namenda to help with irritability and anxiety.  Has anyone else ever heard of this being used in late stage for anxiety issues?

PamelaJane

My DH has been on Namenda for some time.  There have been no negative side affects.  DH has been calmer, not perfect, but every little bit helps.  DH now takes a stronger medication, you will have to keep in touch with doctor to relay results.

Worried about mom

My mom has just been prescribed Namenda… Two weeks ago. I don’t know if I can tell any difference at all. She still has anxiety and still sundowning. Calls me and doesn’t know where she is from assisted-living. Her short-term memory is zero. Are there better things for her to try?

RobOT

Jamaica, be aware that one of Namenda's common side effects is diarrhea.  He might not get it, but it's one thing to look out for.  My father (getting into later stage) took it, and it caused agitation and severe hallucinations.  I wouldn't exclude the drug, but I would be on the look-out for side effects so he could wean off of it as soon as possible if there's a problem.  You can't just stop this one, it takes a few days to lessen the dose safely.  Good luck.

Teresag56

My mom was on aricept and namenda. I just brought her home from ASL. She was there for 2 yrs. Been on the meds for 2 yrs. They sent her home with a 30 day supply of her meds but because of Covid no doctors want to take new patients. So I weaned her off aricept and doing same with namends. I see no difference in mood or memory...

LovingAwareness

Namenda caused agitation for our Dad too. It was like it helped his brain organize enough to want to do things, but he still couldn't do them, so his restlessness increased. He seemed happier and more content without it, so we discontinued it. His condition is ever-shifting, so we might try it again at some point.

Cynbar

My DH has been taking this plus Aricept for quite awhile. No side effects that I can see. It's hard to know how much it has helped him, if any, because the goal is to slow down the progression of his memory loss. I haven't heard of it being used for agitation. Still, he tolerates it well so I have kept him on it. He takes Zyprexa for agitation.