Namenda may cause serious side effects including:
- severe headache,
- blurred vision,
- pounding in your neck or years,
- convulsions ( seizure ), and
- unusual changes in mood or behavior
- Bloating or swelling of the face, arms, hands, lower legs, or feet.
- pounding in the ears.
- rapid weight gain.
- slow or fast heartbeat.
- tingling of the hands or feet.
- unusual weight gain or loss.
What are the side effects of Namenda for dementia?
Namenda (memantine hydrochloride) is an orally active NMDA receptor antagonist used to treat moderate to severe Alzheimer's type dementia. Common side effects of Namenda include: tiredness, body aches, joint pain, dizziness, nausea, vomiting,
How long does it take for Namenda side effects to fade?
Many people note initial side effects when they begin adjusting to the drug, but find that some of those side effects may fade after several weeks or months. Short-term: Anyone that’s just starting Namenda may experience side effects as their physiology and brain adapt to the drug.
What is the drug Namenda used to treat?
Namenda ( memantine) is an orally active NMDA receptor antagonist used to treat moderate to severe dementia associated with Alzheimer's disease. Other medications used for Alzheimer's disease affect acetylcholine, one of the neurotransmitter chemicals that nerve cells in the brain use to communicate with one another.
Does Namenda make you more depressed?
Depression: Not everyone will experience improved cognition and improved mood when they take Namenda. Many people find that the NMDA antagonist effect makes them more depressed than usual.
What is memantine and side effects?
red irritated eyes. severe headache. severe muscle stiffness. severe vomiting. sores, ulcers, or white spots in the mouth or on the lips.
Does Namenda have side effects?
Body aches, dizziness, constipation, and headache may occur. If any of these effects last or get worse, tell your doctor or pharmacist promptly. Remember that this medication has been prescribed because your doctor has judged that the benefit to you is greater than the risk of side effects.
Is memantine a high risk medication?
Memantine oral tablet is used for long-term treatment. It comes with serious risks if you don't take it as prescribed. If you stop taking the drug or don't take it at all: Your dementia symptoms may not be relieved, and they may get worse.
What medications should not be taken with memantine?
Drug InteractionsAcetazolamide.Amantadine.Brinzolamide.Bupropion.Dextromethorphan.Dorzolamide.Ketamine.Methazolamide.More items...•
Is memantine worth taking?
Is memantine effective for all people with dementia? Memantine will not help everyone who takes it. It treats the symptoms of moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease only and is not a cure – there is no evidence that it can halt or reverse the process of cell damage that causes the disease.
When should memantine be stopped?
These medications should be stopped if the desired effects—stabilizing cognitive and functional status—are not perceived within a reasonable time, such as 12 weeks. In some cases, stopping cholinesterase inhibitor therapy may cause negative effects on cognition and neuropsychiatric symptoms.
Does memantine worsen memory?
Memantine is used to treat moderate to severe confusion (dementia) related to Alzheimer's disease. It does not cure Alzheimer's disease, but it may improve memory, awareness, and the ability to perform daily functions.
What stage of dementia is memantine used for?
Memantine has a small beneficial effect in people with moderate‐to‐severe AD. This benefit affects thinking, the ability to carry on normal daily activities, and the severity of behaviour and mood problems.
Does memantine affect sleep?
It is well known that memantine acts as a blocker on N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors. It produces wake promotion and insomnia in AD patients [10]. However, a few studies showed that memantine increases total awake time and reduces total sleep time [11,12].
What time of day is best to take memantine?
Memantine can be taken at any time of the day, but always try to take the doses at the same time every day. The medication can be taken with or without food.
What is the best medication for dementia?
The following are used to temporarily improve dementia symptoms. Cholinesterase inhibitors. These medications — including donepezil (Aricept), rivastigmine (Exelon) and galantamine (Razadyne) — work by boosting levels of a chemical messenger involved in memory and judgment.
How long can you take memantine?
The drug memantine is a safe and effective therapy that helps patients suffering from moderate to severe Alzheimer disease for up to a year.
Can memantine make dementia worse?
In addition to antipsychotics, Ely said that drugs like memantine can also cause dementia patients to become less alert than they were before taking the drug. “Such drugs, while hopefully given to increase engagement, can have individual negative outcomes [including patients becoming more lethargic].
Which is better Namenda or Aricept?
Aricept (donepezil) works for all stages of Alzheimer's, and most forms of it are available in generic. Slows progression of Alzheimer's disease. Namenda (memantine) can slow the progression of symptoms in moderate and severe Alzheimer's disease, but cannot cure it.
Can Namenda cause more confusion?
Some side effects of Namenda are dizziness, confusion, headache, sleepiness, constipation, vomiting, pain (especially in the back), and coughing. More serious side effects are rare but include shortness of breath and hallucination.
How do you know if Namenda is working?
Studies have shown that most people taking Namenda will start to see symptoms improve within a few months of taking Namenda. In patients with mild to moderate dementia, onset of improvement can start in as early as 14 days.
What is Namenda used for?
Namenda ( memantine) is an orally active NMDA receptor antagonist used to treat moderate to severe dementia associated with Alzheimer's disease. Other medications used for Alzheimer's disease affect acetylcholine, one of the neurotransmitter chemicals that nerve cells in the brain use to communicate with one another.
How to report a drug problem to the FDA?
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit the FDA MedWatch website or call 1-800-FDA-1088 . Professional side effects and drug interactions sections courtesy of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Can Namenda be used with other NMDA antagonists?
Combining Namenda with other NMDA receptor antagonists (for example, amantadine, ketamine, and dextromethorphan) has not been evaluated and should be done cautiously. Studies of Namenda have not been conducted in pregnant women.
Is Namenda used for dementia?
Namenda (memantine) is an orally active NMDA receptor antagonist used to treat moderate to severe dementia associated with Alzheimer's disease. Common side effects of Namenda include fatigue, pain, increased blood pressure, dizziness, headache, constipation, vomiting, back pain, confusion, sleepiness, hallucinations, coughing, and difficulty breathing. Namenda should only be used during pregnancy if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the fetus. It is unknown if Namenda is excreted into breast milk.
Does Namenda block NMDA?
Namenda blocks this receptor and thereby decreases the effects of glutamate . It is thought that by blocking the NMDA receptor and the effects of glutamate , Namenda may protect nerve cells from excess stimulation by glutamate. Common side effects of Namenda include. fatigue,
Does Namenda make urine alkaline?
Drug interactions of Namenda include medicines that make the urine more alkaline (for example, carbonic anhydrase inhibitors such as acetazolamide and sodium bicarbonate) because they reduce the elimination of Namenda by the kidneys and might increase the blood levels and the risk of side effects of Namenda.
Does memantine increase with pH?
The clearance of memantine was reduced by about 80% under alkaline urine conditions at pH 8. Therefore, alterations of urine pH towards the alkaline condition may lead to an accumulation of the drug with a possible increase in adverse effects.
What are the factors that affect the side effects of Namenda?
These factors include: individual variation, dosage, time span over which you’ve taken the drug, and whether you’re taking any other drugs or supplements.
How does Namenda affect your body?
Pain: You may notice that after you start Namenda, you feel pain throughout your body. The pain may be concentrated in a specific area or affect one side of your body more than the other. For other individuals, the pain may be widespread. Should this pain interfere with your daily functioning, talk to your doctor.
Does Namenda have side effects?
Short-term: Anyone that’s just starting Namenda may experience side effects as their physiology and brain adapt to the drug. Anytime you’re introducing a new stimuli to your nervous system, you’re likely to experience side effects as a result of the changes being made.
How long do side effects last on a syringe?
Many people note initial side effects when they begin adjusting to the drug, but find that some of those side effects may fade after several weeks or months.
Can Namenda cause hallucinations?
Hallucinations: Some individuals report experiencing hallucinations while taking Namenda. The hallucinations likely stem from the NMDA receptor antagonist effect elicited by the drug, but may also result from effects on other neurotransmitters. If you start hearing voices or seeing strange objects with no basis in reality, realize that this is a side effect.
Can Namenda cause coughing?
Coughing: If you begin taking Namenda and suddenly start coughing, it may not be a “cold.”. In fact, coughing is a fairly common side effect. For many people the coughing isn’t severe enough to warrant medication discontinuation. However, if you notice that the coughing is incessant and severe – talk to your doctor.
Does Namenda work on glutamate receptors?
The drug has a complex mechanism of action, but primarily targets the NDMA glutamatergic receptors with the aim of correcting potential glutamate dysfunction. It also elicits a modest effect upon the 5-HT3 serotonergic receptor, various nAChRs (nicotinic acetylcholine receptors), and the D2 dopaminergic receptor. For most individuals, Namenda is thought to be well-tolerated with a favorable side effect profile.
What are the adverse reactions to NAMENDA?
In double-blind placebo-controlled trials involving dementia patients, the most common adverse reactions (incidence ≥ 5% and higher than placebo) in patients treated with NAMENDA were dizziness, headache, confusion and constipation. Table 1 lists all adverse reactions that occurred in at least 2% of patients treated with NAMENDA and at an incidence greater than placebo.
What are the side effects of a syringe?
unusual changes in mood or behavior. Common side effects may include: diarrhea; dizziness; or. headache. This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.
Does Namenda interact with cimetidine?
Namenda may interact with cimetidine, nicotine, ranitidine, quinidine, sodium bicarbonate, antiviral medication, cold or cough medicine containing dextromethorphan, diuretics (water pills), medicine to treat glaucoma, or oral diabetes medicine containing metformin. Tell your doctor all prescription and over-the-counter medications you use.
Does Namenda cause bruising?
urinating more than usual. Many people using Namenda do not have serious side effects.
Can Namenda be used during pregnancy?
Namenda should be used only when prescribed during pregnancy. It is unknown if this drug passes into breast milk. Consult your doctor before breastfeeding.
What is memantine used for?
For Alzheimer's: Memantine is used to control symptoms of moderate to severe alzheimer's disease, and may help behavior, adl's, and confusion. It is modestly useful and is best employed in combination with anti- cholinergic medicines.
What are the side effects of a syringe?
See below: Some common side effects you may experience include headache, dizziness, and possibly nausea, diarrhea or constipation. These side effects don’t happen to everyone but if they happen to you or become too troublesome, let your doctor know.
Is dizziness a side effect of placebo?
Dizziness: The main side-effect (3%) compared to placebo in fda trials was dizziness. However a small percentage of demented patients may have varying symptoms including aggressiveness, apathy, depression. Behavioral changes happen within the first few weeks as a rule but are reversible with discontinuation.
Is Namenda good for Parkinson's?
Yes: Namenda (memantine) is a great medication used for memory enhancement. It is at times also used to improve general pain or parkinson disease. It has little side effects and the activating side effects are used for the benefit of the patient if possible.
What is worsening dementia?
Worsening: Back to a baseline, significantly lower level of functioning is the most common phenomenon, which is seen by family/staff as a sudden worsening of the dementia (depending on the stage), it may consist of forgetting names, inability to execute simple tasks, not recognizing people/places, incontinence, etc.
Does Namenda stop Alzheimer's?
No but . . .: Neither Namenda (memantine) nor any of the ache inhibitors will stop the progression of alzheimer's disease. The best that we can hope for is to slow it's progression.
Can Aricept help with dementia?
If he has been diagnosed with dementia, Aricept can preserve his independent functioning for a longer time than not being on aricept. It won't help him regain what he's lost, and it won't extend his life. Namenda (memantine) can also help, but these drugs are not without side effects. Talk to his doctor.
Factors That Influence Namenda Side Effects
Namenda Side Effects: List of Common Reactions
- Below is a list of possible side effects that you may experience while taking Namenda. Understand that both the severity and number of side effects you experience is largely subject to individual variation based on the aforementioned factors. 1. Aggression: Although relatively uncommon, some individuals may become aggressive when taking Namenda. The specific mec…
Namenda Severe Side Effects / Adverse Reactions
- Some people taking Namenda will experience severe side effects and/or adverse reactions. Keep in mind that severe adverse reactions are relatively uncommon, but have been reported. Should you experience any severe side effects, it is recommended to consult a medical professional. 1. Allergic reaction: In extremely rare cases, some people may have an allergic reaction to the drug…
Namenda: Comparing The Benefits
- For certain individuals with moderate or severe Alzheimer’s disease, Namenda can be an extremely beneficial medication. There is some preliminary evidence suggesting that it may decrease overall deterioration and elicit favorable effects on cognitive function, mood, and behavior. It is also thought that the drug can improve daily performance among ...