Aricept

jsps139_ · March 15

My DH had a Dr’s appt today. I gave the doctor a list of his behaviors - hallucinations, delusions, episodes of anger, not knowing who I am, waking up at night and unmaking and remaking the bed for over an hour, etc. We are starting his 10th year since diagnosis. The Dr prescribed Seroquel and Aricept. I told the Dr that I thought I read that Aricept was only for the beginning stage of Alzheimer’s. He said that wasn’t true and you can start it at any stage. Does this seem right to start Aricept in the 10th year? Thanks everyone!

M1 · March 15

I wouldn't use it. Spitting in the wind. Who is this doc?

Cecil Jones · March 15

I agree with M1. I also read they shouldn't be given together. It's hard for me to wrap my head around your love one having problems for ten years and his doctor just now wanting to prescribe Aricept.

mrahope · March 15

In my experience, Aricept did nothing to calm angry outbursts or slow progression. Have not tried Seroquel for DH as yet.

jsps139_ · March 15

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/202222#Comment_202222

We just moved to this area 3 years ago and got this doctor. My DH’s neurologist that we saw for his diagnosis said … I’ll be honest with you - I don’t think any of these drugs work to help with memory loss. I do not notice a difference in my patients that take Aricept. My patients say it is working, but I have to wonder if it really does or if they want that to be true so badly that they think it is when it really isn’t. I was grateful for his honesty and my husband chose to exercise and eat healthy and he had a very good 8 years before things started progressing. I think we’ll pass on the Aricept and just try the Seroquel. Thanks for affirming what I was thinking.

jsps139_ · March 15

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/202242#Comment_202242

Thanks for responding. These decisions are so hard. I want to do what the Dr suggests, but my brother always tells me to follow my gut. On this decision, my gut is saying no to Aricept.

jsps139_ · March 15

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/202217#Comment_202217

This Dr is my husband’s PCP. I think I’ll just use the Seroquel. Thanks! I appreciate the info more than everyone knows!!!

jfkoc · March 15

My husband's neuro also said he thought Aricept was useless.

M1 · March 15

I personally never saw anyone benefit from it (thirty years in practice). But some here would disagree.

SSHarkey · March 15

It made a significant difference for my husband, but only lasted 3 months. And that was early in his diagnosis!

Phoenix1966 · March 15

My grandmother was prescribed it late into the disease(she probably had been suffering from vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s for 12+ years), but very early in the official diagnosis. It did not benefit her at all.

jsps139_ · March 15

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/202289#Comment_202289

Thank you so much for posting - very helpful!

jsps139_ · March 15

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/202295#Comment_202295

Thanks a bunch for letting me know. It is so helpful to get feedback.

l7pla1w2 · March 15

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/202258#Comment_202258

How about memantine? DW's neuro has her on both Aricept and memantine. I don't think they're doing anything for her, but how could you tell? The neuro did say she could discontinue the memantine, but I was afraid to do that in case it really was doing something.

Aside: DW asks what that blue pill is for. I tell her "to improve memory", and we both laugh.

WIGO23 · March 16

My DH has mild to moderate dementia due to ALZ. He started Aricept about five months after diagnosis last year. I too wonder if it helps because I see him slowly losing more of his short term memory (especially); confusion increasing in new places; word choices that are confusing to follow. Is this being slowed by Aricept? How could we ever know?

But, he has no side effects from it, so he takes it. It is all we have at this point.

Quilting brings calm · March 16

It’s very hard to know if Aricept, rivastegmine or others work. The disease can remain stable with no drugs, decline with no drugs, stay stable with drugs, or decline with drugs. Each patients timeline is different. Each decline for one patient is different. So how can you possibly tell if the memory drugs do anything? And the side effects are such that many people can’t take the needed dosage.

At least you can tell if Seraquel is working. The patient either calms down or they don’t.

l7pla1w2 · March 16

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/202330#Comment_202330

So how can you possibly tell if the memory drugs do anything?

I've wondered how the clinical studies reach a conclusion that any of these meds do anything.

So far, DW does not seem to exhibit any side effects from Aricept/donepezil or Memantine.

Marta · March 16

In controlled clinical studies where some got Aricept and others didn’t, a comparison of progression of dementia between the two groups favored Aricept in a statistically significant way. Whether this difference was clinically significant (in real life) remains open for discussion.

Knowing this, I still offered Aricept to my husband. It was all we had. I also had him participate in one of the trials with monoclonal antibodies, which failed. After that, I signed him up for infusion of intravenous immune globulin without any data that it was effective. Desperate people, desperate times.

M1 · March 16

Article in the Washington Post this morning about spectacular post-market failure of an ALS drug, and how the FDA has overshot in approving therapies with questionable benefit. We're definitely due for a course correction.

I never saw benefit from memantine either. The studies have suggested 1 in 12 will benefit from the cholinesterase drugs, 1 in 12 will have significant side effects, and for 10/12 they will make no difference.

Aricept

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