What is donepezil used to treat?

What is donepezil used to treat?

Donepezil is used to treat dementia (a brain disorder that affects the ability to remember, think clearly, communicate, and perform daily activities and may cause changes in mood and personality) in people who have Alzheimer’s disease (AD; a brain disease that slowly destroys the memory and the ability to think, learn.

Why is donepezil used for Alzheimer’s?

Donepezil, rivastigmine and galantamine all prevent an enzyme called acetylcholinesterase from breaking down acetylcholine. This means there is a higher concentration of acetylcholine in the brain, which leads to better communication between nerve cells. This may ease some symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease for a while.

Does donepezil make dementia worse?

Conclusion: There were no changes in global cognitive performance or dementia severity; however, a subgroup of patients with FTD can experience worsening of symptoms with donepezil.

Can donepezil be used for sleep?

Conclusions: Donepezil treatment enhanced REM sleep and reduced slow frequencies of REM sleep EEG, suggesting a possible action upon REM sleep-related cholinergic neurons in patients with Alzheimer disease. Furthermore, REM sleep alpha power may predict the cognitive response to donepezil.

Can donepezil cause anger?

The manufacturer reports that 5% of patients taking donepezil have developed agitation, although only 1% with physical aggression (personal communica- tion). We suggest the need for close specialist monitoring of this recently licensed drug.

Is donepezil worth taking?

Clinical value: Donepezil is more effective than placebo and is well tolerated in improving the major symptoms of this disease. Improvements are usually modest, although stabilization of cognitive and functional symptoms with donepezil can also be considered an important clinical outcome.

How quickly does donepezil work?

How long does it take to work? It takes at least 2 weeks for Aricept to start working. It may take a few weeks or months before you notice any improvement in cognitive function (ability to think and remember).

Can donepezil cause more confusion?

Donepezil can help with symptoms like being forgetful or confused. The most common side effects of donepezil are diarrhoea, headache and feeling sick (nausea). You can take it with or without food.

How good is donepezil?

There is strong evidence that donepezil has efficacy against the three major domains of Alzheimer’s disease symptoms, namely functional ability, behavior, and cognition. The strongest evidence is for improvement or less deterioration in global outcomes and cognition in the short to medium term.

What is the medication donepezil used for?

Donepezil, sold as the trade name Aricept among others, is a medication used to treat Alzheimer’s disease. It appears to result in a small benefit in mental function and ability to function.

What does the name donepezil mean?

Donepezil (Aricept) is a medication prescribed for the treatment of mild, moderate, or severe dementia associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Side effects, drug interactions, warnings and precautions, and pregnancy information should be reviewed prior to taking any medication.

What are the side effects of donepezil?

Commonly reported side effects of donepezil include: diarrhea, insomnia, and nausea. Other side effects include: fatigue, muscle cramps, vomiting, weight loss, anorexia, and ecchymoses.

What does donepezil look like?

Donepezil hydrochloride 5mg Orodispersible tablets are white to off-white round, flat tablets with bevelled edges, embossed with ‘5’ on one side. Donepezil hydrochloride 10mg Orodispersible tablets are white to off-white round, flat tablets with bevelled edges, embossed with ‘10’ on one side.

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