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Alzheimer's
- Dementia - Memory Loss medications by Pharmacy |
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Exelon is used in the treatment of mild to moderate
Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's disease causes physical
changes in the brain that disrupt the flow of information
and interfere with memory, thinking, and behavior. By
boosting levels of the chemical messenger acetylcholine,
Exelon can temporarily improve brain function in some
Alzheimer's sufferers, though it does not halt the progress
of the underlying disease. Exelon may become less effective
as the disease progresses. |
| For management of symptoms
associated with Alzheimer's Disease |
| Aricept
- 5mg 28 tabs Pfizer |
Donepezil, E2020 |
| Treats symptoms of Alzheimer's
disease such as confusion or memory loss. |
| Aricept
- 5mg 28 tabs Pfizer |
Donepezil, E2020 |
|
Aricept - 5mg 28 tabs Pfizer |
Donepezil, E2020 |
| Aricept is one of a group of drugs called
"cholinesterase inhibitors" which is used to treat symptoms
in individuals with mild to moderate Alzheimer Disease.
In brains of people with Alzheimer Disease there is a
progressive degeneration of nerve cells. Particularly
notable is a degeneration of cells which make acetylcholine,
a chemical thought to be important for learning and memory.
People with Alzheimer Disease have lower brain levels of
acetylcholine. Aricept acts by decreasing the activity of
acetylcholinesterase, an enzyme whose function is to break
down acetylcholine. It is believed that because Aricept
reduces the breakdown of acetylcholine, it will lead to an
increase in the level of acetylcholine in the brain. The
potential beneficial effect could lessen as the disease
progresses and when fewer cells are available to make
acetylcholine. How does it help? Aricept is
intended to treat symptoms in individuals with mild to
moderate Alzheimer Disease. In clinical trials, individuals
who took Aricept when compared to individuals who took a
placebo (a substance which looks like the drug but has no
effect), showed improvement or no further decline in
cognition (including memory, orientation, language) and
function (including performance of daily activities).
Aricept may take as long as 12 weeks to begin working, and
the type of and length of response to this medicine will
vary from individual to individual. What does Aricept
not do? Aricept is not a cure for Alzheimer Disease as
it does not affect the underlying degenerative process of
the disease. Who should take Aricept?
Individuals who have been diagnosed with mild to moderate
Alzheimer Disease. |
| Used in the treatment of mild to moderate
dementia in Alzheimer's patients. |
| Treats Alzheimer's disease. |
|
Hydergine |
Brand / Generic |
| Hydergine - 1 mg Tab 30 Novartis |
Dihydroergotoxine, Gerimal,
Hydergine, Niloric |
| Used to relieve the signs and symptoms of
decreased mental capacity due to the aging process. |
| Piracetam (brand name: Nootropil®, Myocalm®)
is a nootropic. It is a cerebral function regulating drug
which, it is claimed, is able to enhance cognition and
memory, slow down brain aging, increase blood flow and
oxygen to the brain, aid stroke recovery, and improve
Alzheimer's, Down's Syndrome, dementia, and dyslexia, among
others. Eue to its non-toxic nature and its general health
benefits it is seen more as a food supplement than as a
drug. One of its general health effects is said to be toning
of damaged nerves and muscles (although this is
scientifically unverified). It is safe for use by itself as
a non-prescription drug in a reasonably healthy person. |
| Normabrain 400mg Caps 30 TORRENT
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Cerecetam,
Piracetam, Nootropyl |
| Reported to be an intelligence booster and
CNS (central nervous system) stimulant with no known
toxicity or addictive properties |
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Reminyl - 8mg 28 Tablets JANSSEN CILAG
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Galantamine |
| Reminyl is the brand name for the drug
galantamine Hydrobromide. It is licensed for the treatment
of mild to moderately severe Alzheimer's disease.
Reminyl is not claimed to be a cure for Alzheimer's disease.
It treats only the symptoms and there is no evidence to show
that it could halt or reverse the process of cell damage
that causes Alzheimer's disease. Who might benefit?
Reminyl is intended only for people with Alzheimer's
disease, and not for people with other kinds of dementia. It
is licensed only for people who are in the mild to
moderately severe stages of the illness. It is
important to realize that unfortunately Reminyl will not
help everyone who tries it. The effect of the drug
will vary for different people. Some will not notice an
effect at all. Others may find that their condition
improves, or that they stay the same when they would have
expected to get gradually less able because of the
progression of Alzheimer's disease. For most who take
it there will not be a dramatic improvement, but the drug
may help to stop symptoms getting worse. Janssen-Cilag and
Shire, who manufacture the drug, did studies looking at the
drug’s effect on memory and understanding, behavior and
people’s ability to carry out daily living activities.
The results of the studies are averages, so some people did
better and some worse than the average. It is not possible
to tell whether the drug will have an effect for any
particular person. On one measure of understanding and
memory, people with Alzheimer's disease without treatment
normally score 5-11 points worse after a year. After a year
on the high dose of Reminyl, the average score of people
taking Reminyl had stayed the same, and about a third had
improved by 4 points. However, it must be remembered that
15% of people taking the placebo (dummy pill) also improved
by the same amount. (This is a common effect in clinical
trials when people take a placebo.) For those who took
Reminyl, behavioral symptoms such as anxiety, hallucinations
and wandering on average did not get worse over the course
of a five month study. For some people these symptoms
improved, while for those not taking the drug they got
significantly worse. For activities of daily living,
on average, people taking Reminyl also remained the same
over a year, whereas those not taking the drug got worse at
activities like bathing, managing money and preparing food. |
| Helps treat the symptoms associated with
Alzheimer's disease or dementia. |
|
Alzheimers /
Dementia Medications |
| DONEPEZIL (Aricept®, Aricept® ODT) helps
treat the symptoms associated with Alzheimer's disease or
dementia. It is not a cure for Alzheimer's disease but
offers improvement in memory, attention, reason, language,
and the ability to perform simple tasks. Benefits are
usually greater for mild to moderate symptoms seen in the
early stages of the disease. Generic donepezil tablets or
orally-disintegrating tablets are not yet available.
RIVASTIGMINE (Exelon®) helps treat the
symptoms associated with Alzheimer's disease or dementia.
It is not a cure for Alzheimer's disease but offers
improvement in memory, attention, reason, language, and the
ability to perform simple tasks. Benefits are greater in
the early stages of the disease.
What is Alzheimer's Disease?
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive, neurodegenerative disease characterized in the brain by abnormal clumps (amyloid plaques) and tangled bundles of fibers (neurofibrillary tangles) composed of misplaced proteins. Age is the most important risk factor for AD; the number of people with the disease doubles every 5 years beyond age 65. Three genes have been discovered that cause early onset (familial) AD. Other genetic mutations that cause excessive accumulation of amyloid protein are associated with age-related (sporadic) AD. Symptoms of AD include memory loss, language deterioration, impaired ability to mentally manipulate visual information, poor judgment, confusion, restlessness, and mood swings. Eventually AD destroys cognition, personality, and the ability to function. The early symptoms of AD, which include forgetfulness and loss of concentration, are often missed because they resemble natural signs of aging.
Is there any treatment?
There is no cure for AD and no way to slow the progression of the disease. For some people in the early or middle stages of AD, medication such as tacrine (Cognex) may alleviate some cognitive symptoms. Donepezil (Aricept), rivastigmine (Exelon), and galantamine (Reminyl) may keep some symptoms from becoming worse for a limited time. A fifth drug, memantine (Namenda), was recently approved for use in the United States. Combining memantine with other AD drugs may be more effective than any single therapy. One controlled clinical trial found that patients receiving donepezil plus memantine had better cognition and other functions than patients receiving donepezil alone. Also, other medications may help control behavioral symptoms such as sleeplessness, agitation, wandering, anxiety, and depression.
What is the prognosis?
AD is a progressive disease, but its course can vary from 5 to 20 years. The most common cause of death in AD patients is infection.
Prepared by:
Office of Communications and Public Liaison
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, MD 20892
NINDS health-related material is provided for information purposes only and does not necessarily represent endorsement by or an official position of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke or any other Federal agency. Advice on the treatment or care of an individual patient should be obtained through consultation with a physician who has examined that patient or is familiar with that patient's medical history.
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