Memantine

Generic name: Memantine
Drug class: Miscellaneous central nervous system agents

Usage of Memantine

Memantine reduces the actions of chemicals in the brain that may contribute to the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.

Memantine is used to treat moderate to severe dementia of the Alzheimer's type.

Memantine may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

Memantine side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Memantine may cause serious side effects. Call your doctor at once if you have:

severe headache, blurred vision, pounding in your neck or ears;

seizure (convulsions); or

unusual changes in mood or behavior.

Common side effects of memantine may include:

diarrhea;

dizziness; or

headache.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Before taking Memantine

You should not use memantine if you are allergic to it.

To make sure memantine is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have:

epilepsy or other seizure disorder;

liver disease;

kidney disease;

urination problems; or

a bladder or kidney infection.

memantine is not expected to harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

It is not known whether memantine passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

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How to use Memantine

Usual Adult Dose for Alzheimer's Disease:

IMMEDIATE-RELEASE:Week 1: 5 mg orally once a day.Week 2: 10 mg orally/day (Administer 5 mg twice a day.)Week 3: 15 mg orally/day (Administer 5 mg and 10 mg as separate doses.)Week 4/Maintenance Dose: 20 mg orally/day (Administer 10 mg twice a day.)EXTENDED-RELEASE:-Initial Dose: 7 mg orally once a day.-Maintenance and Maximum Dose: 28 mg orally once a day; increase the initial dose in 7 mg increments to the recommended maintenance dose.Comments: The minimum recommended interval between dose increases is one week; only increase dosage if the previous dose has been well tolerated.Use: Treatment of moderate to severe dementia of the Alzheimer's type.

Warnings

Follow all directions on your medicine label and package. Tell each of your healthcare providers about all your medical conditions, allergies, and all medicines you use.

What other drugs will affect Memantine

Tell your doctor about all your current medicines and any you start or stop using, especially:

amantadine;

zonisamide;

cough medicine that contains Dextromethorphan (Delsym, Robitussin Maximum Strength, Vicks 44, and others);

medicines to make the urine alkaline--urine sodium bicarbonate, potassium citrate (K-Lyte, Urocit-K), sodium citrate and citric acid (Bicitra, Oracit), or sodium citrate and potassium (Citrolith, Polycitra); or

medicine to treat glaucoma or increased pressure inside the eyes--acetazolamide, methazolamide.

This list is not complete. Other drugs may interact with memantine, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible interactions are listed in this medication guide.

Disclaimer

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