I asked about Razadyne ER and Namenda. There was some mention of the Hyperzine A. Is anyone on it? Are you happy with it? Are you taking it under the directions of a physican? Sorry for all the questions, but I an on a quest to help my husband with this monster disease. It is just taking him to fast for me. Sally
My husband is on it. He was accepted into a huperzine A clinical trial a few months after he was diagnosed with AD and had been started on namenda. The first six months was the typical "double-blind" trial, in which nobody knows which patients are on drug or placebo. I was pretty sure he was on the "real thing", since he promptly developed mild nausea right after taking his morning medicines. This stopped when I started giving him the meds after breakfast.
After the six month double-blind stage, the trial was extended to include an open-label stage (i.e., we knew he was on huperzine A.) That was extended twice, so he ended up being on the huperzine A for sure for 72 weeks, and possibly for the full two years. I assume the trial was extended three times altogether because the data has been looking so good. My husband's test scores have pretty much held steady throughout the entire trial. Mind you, I do think he has slipped a tiny bit, and his scores have held steady simply because he has learned how to do better on the tests. Still, he is doing better than I'd hoped.
The trial has not been extended any further -- I assume they're getting all the data they need. However, since huperzine A is available over the counter, and since my husband has been doing so well, I am keeping my husband on it. His new PCP is a geriatrics specialist in the University med center, and works with the AD Research Center, so he already had all my husband's clinical trial data even before we first met with him, and he is very familiar with the study.
You should DEFINITELY involve your husband's doctor any time you consider giving your husband a new med or even an herbal supplement -- herbal supplements ARE drugs, even if they're not controlled by the FDA. If his doctor is not familiar with the recent studies on huperzine A, let me know and I'll get a contact from the AD Research Center who can forward information.
Sunshyne, Thank you for you input. I value it highly. I absolutely would not think of giving my husband not one thing unless the doctor ordered it or okayed it. I hope she is familiar with it so I don't have to ask you for a contact from the AD Research Center. I understand it would be a replacement for the Razadyne ER Thanks again. Sally
Sally, it has really amazed me how many people (over on the Alz Assn site) think that just because something is sold as an herbal supplement, it isn't really a drug, and they don't need to worry about side effects, or whether it should be taken with the other meds their LOs are on ... Makes me really nervous! :-)
One of the nicest things about huperzine A is that it is very low-cost. So many are struggling to pay for the synthetic cholinesterase inhibitors. And Namenda, well, I think it's wonderful, it's done a lot for my husband, but boy, is it expensive!!!