My dad is 93 and has been on Memantine for a few months now. I can't see a difference really, but now the doc ordered Donepezil as well. It's only been a week but we notice he has much less appetite and complains he can't sleep at night (he sleeps in his chair during the day though) and also the other day had leg cramps. All of these things are side effects but then it seems early to be seeing side effects in just a week. I have messaged the doctor but I'm going to stop giving it to him in the meantime. Do any of you have experience with these drugs? I wonder if it's worth giving him anything at his age, as I doubt that it's helping his dementia? I hate to disagree with the doctor and want to do everything we can, but I also know that he has poor balance and its possible that these drugs are contributing to that as well.
I have discussed with her and her doctors more than once on next steps regarding continuing taking or stopping the drugs. We have always decided to continue as she has progressed very slowly with her dementia.
She was first prescribed the Aricept by her primary. Then a neurologist prescribed along with the Namenda. Then her geriatrics doctor suggested she stay on them. Now she is on hospice and still takes them. In fact the hospice supplies them for her.
She has been lucky in that they appear to help her. It is difficult to know for sure. If they made her sick, I would discontinue.
I have heard others say it’s not effective after a certain length of time and I have tried to find that information on various websites to confirm that. I have never been able to confirm it. Since DH aunt was seeing a highly regarded geriatric primary associated with a major teaching hospital I decided to follow her recommendation and leave aunt on the meds. I fully expected the hospice doctor to take her off of it. Instead they took over the cost and are supplying it.
I know it’s difficult to make these decisions. I would not take him off without consulting his doctor as he may need to taper the dosage and not stop all at once.
When I had to add the donezepil, half the dose for 2 weeks to start with, after a few days she got nasty side effects. Insomnia and nightsweats, among with a few that where less severe appeared. After two weeks we contacted the neurologist. As her family caregiver I discussed it with my SIL and of course with my MIL herself. MIL wanted to quit, she was a wreck over the lack of sleep and the draining nightsweats. After research we saw that the donezepil might only work for 6 months to begin with. Adding the other half of the pill with more side effects in the make that might not disappear at all we decided to stop the donezepil. In the first place because MIL wanted it herself, she needs to be heard. Thereby, we promised her to go for comfort along this road.
We did talk it through with the neurologist and he fully agreed.
Go with your gutfeel. For us her comfort is put on one. Nothing wrong with giving something a try but till a certain level.