HI PrisR, My wife (Kathryn) had diiarrhea and also was throwingup a little when she first went on Aricept. However it didn't last very long. Maybe a few days.
My DH can only tolerate 5 mg of Aricept. When he tried 10 mg he experienced violent vomiting and I mean VIOLENT. Both the PCP and Neuro said to stay on 5 mg.
That is common for Aricept. My SIL had that type of reaction. The original neuro ordered that for my husband but the VA substituted galantamine. Hb is prone to diarrhea so don't know if it made it worse, but the stomach problems are. Both Aricept and galantamine cause the stomach to produce excess stomach acid which could also be the cause of diarrhea. My hb has to take an antacid daily or else he is miserable. And since he had GERDs (surgically treated) we do not want that again.
Hope I'm not to late for this discussion. Made our first trip to see our kids for the labor day weekend, but, that's another story. On The aricept, tho, we had a terrible experience. Terrible diarrhea. Terrible-Terrible, I can't tell you here how terrible. Had to discontinue it and substituted Xelon patch. Had to deal with 'accidents' out in public and with friends, but, no regrets or remorse. Don't (hopefully won't) go thru that again.
We had to discontinue the Aricept because of very, very violent muscle cramps. Surprisingly, I’ve not seen that much decline in the many months since then. It does make me wonder sometimes how effective these drugs are.
My mother (88) does not have dementia but her PCP gave her Aricept for forgetfulness. It gave her terrible nightmares, so she dropped it and now has Namenda.
Jan, remember only a percentage of people are helped by Aricept, galantamine and the other drugs. Unfortunately, in most cases we don't know if they are helping unless we are willing to take them off the drugs. That is one of the sad facts of the drugs and disease.
When my husband first went on Aricept, it caused the equivalent of painful burns on his bottom (per the dermatologist). He prescribed an ointment, which helped, and gradually his body adjusted.
isnt it sad that at late stages some choose to take them off all AD meds and they see improvements! look at noras bill he has had a couple of really good days since she got him off seroquel and hes late end stage. makes you wonder about the use of some of these meds for sure. divvi
I agree Divvi, but we are all so desperate to try to keep the disease at bay, we will grasp at practically any straw we can. If you read the info on the drugs, it is depressing--they help SOME of the people, a little, for a short time. Yet, we feel we have to do all we can.
Has anyone had experience with Aricept and heart disease? My DH had a complete heart workup in December 2010. No heart problems. In March 2011, he was put on Aricept. In August 2011 he was diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure and A-Fib. He was taken off Aricept (December 2011) because it can slow the heart rate. His AZ symptoms have declined considerably since then. Anyone heard of anything like this?
No, but my H's experience with the generic aricept was this. He started @5mg for a brief time about two years ago. His dx is FTD. The response was ok-nothing fantastic but nothing negative either. On that basis it was upped to 10mg. 23 mg was tried for a brief period but increased his delusions. He went back to 10mg and then was weaned off. The delusions returned so he has been @10mg for about the last eight months. He has not had what you would call a heart workup but his primary neurologist finds his heartbeat to be strong and regular.
As a sidenote, his response to meds is not usual. He had an extremely adverse reaction to generic depakote that was not at all expected.
Below is side effects that may happen. Slow heartbeat is a less common one and it seems your hb might have experienced it. My hb is on galantamine. Sudden heart attack is a less common side effect and I had to weigh the risk with possible benefits.
Aricept
All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects. Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome when using Aricept:
Diarrhea; dizziness; loss of appetite; muscle cramps; nausea; tiredness; trouble sleeping; vomiting; weight loss.
Seek medical attention right away if any of these SEVERE side effects occur when using Aricept: Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); bloody or black, tarry stools; chest pain; decreased, difficult, or painful urination; fainting; fever; flu-like symptoms (eg, headache, muscle aches, tiredness); mood or mental problems (eg, depression); new or worsening breathing problems (eg, shortness of breath); seizures; severe dizziness or headache; severe or persistent heartburn or stomach pain; slow or irregular heartbeat; swelling of the hands, ankles, or feet; tremor; unusual bruising; unusual tiredness or weakness; vomit that looks like blood or coffee grounds.
My Dh had an allergic reaction to Aricept, it caused massive headaches so severe that he had to be hospitalized. it was then when they did a MRI that saw that at 64 he had the brain shrinkage of someone in their 80's.
After my DH had his first grand mal seizure, his Aricept was stopped. His neuro said that Aricept could bring on seizures. I will try any meds that the doctor orders; but if I don't like the effects, I will stop them completely or cut back. By trial and error, I have him to the point where he takes 1 Namenda 10mg, 1 Aleve, 1 4mg Coumadin, and 1 2.5mg Marinol a day. This is our happy combination. The Aleve is for inflammation in the brain caused by the Alz plaque and it has worked. He used to suffer such horrible headaches that he would just hold his head and moan. Tha Marinol and the Aleve seem to have taken care of that. Also I never give him any more than half a sleeping pill when I need the rest because the sleeping pills seem to cause myoclonus in the morning.