Hi All, I'm new to this message board and need a little input. My husband's (Bob) Neurologist diagnosed Bob with "Early Onset" AD in February 2005. The Dr. immediately started Bob on Aricept and a month later, prescribed Nemenda. Our last Dr. Appt. the Neurologist informed us the Aricept only works or is affective for three months. Bob wants to stop taking the Aricept. Has anyone else encounted this? And if so, what were the results of your loved one, when they stopped taking the Aricept? Thank you in advance for your input and advice. It is greatly appreciated.
Regards,
JoAnn S.

SnoJo,
i think I would check with another neurologist.

We met with Linda's neurologists this past week. She has been on Aricept for 2 years and for Namenda for 19 months. We saw little change with Aricept and major change (positively) with Namenda. Normally, Namenda should be taken with Aricept.

Our doctor said that in the very early days, because most testing was done for only 6 months, a lot of doctors tried Aricept for a few months and then took people off. Commonly they found that when they came off there was a major progression in the disease. Was Aricept slowing the process? Possibly.

Also, he said the idea that it is only good for a few months came from the early testing. Now testing has been going on for several years. It shows continued benefit for many people.

Unless there are serious side effects, our doctor says don't take the risk of going off...you can't make up the difference for the lost time if you try to go back on.

Hope this is helpful. I would suggest you get another opinion.
Peace,
Bill

Hi SnoJo,

I would see another neurologist.

My 80 year old mother has taken Aricept for almost 2 years with positive results. Coincidently she started to decline last spring about the same time she got a new neurologist. He added Namenda to her daily meds and she improved remarkably--not normal function but OK. I know what her condition was 2 years ago and I shudder to think where she would be today without these drugs.

Without a cure, my hope is to give Mom the best quality of life possible and to postpone the inevitable as long as God permits.

Good luck and don't forget to take of yourself.

I was on Aricept for 4 yrs.before it started not working.I then was put on Reminyl(Razadyne now).That was 3 yrs.ago.I have a friend who has been on Aricept 10 yrs & it's still working.
I agree another Dr.is in order.

As with most medications, some have time limits. Aricept only worked for 18 months with mom, she was then put on Reminyl, and later we got Namenda, actually Memantine, we ordered through Germany, a few years before legal here. Doesn't matter now though, nothing works any more. But remember that each person and each case is different.

what about side effects of aricept like seizures?? Anyone heard of this?

If the Aricept has stoped working try another medication.Don't stop trying.

Good Morning all,

Thank you all for your input. I'm new to the message board and it took me awhile to find my post (LOL) I have another question. have any of your loved ones been diagnosed with "Early Onset" AD compared to "Late Onset" AD? I think maybe that is the difference. And why we were told the Aricept would work for approx. three months. My husband is only 59 and I was told the "Early Onset" AD is a more rapid deterioration process. Bob is still on Aricept and I'm keeping him on it until it becomes apparent it is not working. Thank you again.
Regards,
JoAnn S.

Hello, I'm new. I'm 35 and my husband is 45. He has Early-Onset Alzheimer's. He's been on Aricept since December of 2004.
In the beginning the side effects were awful. Leg Cramps were atrocious. There were others,Ringing in Ears, uncontrollable hearing. Volume is either too loud or too low.
We have had positive results but we still have our up and down days.
The Dr. had tried him on Namenda and it made him meaner than a Snake.
I think it's great that the med does work for some though.
As for 3 months and the med stops working? I don't know. With Ken, it still works.

Here's our experience with Aricept:
My husband was diagnosed with EOAD at age 50, and put on 5 mg Aricept, in March, 2003. We switched doctors, and dosage was increased to 10mg. With each appt., mini mental tests showed increased progression, so by August, 2003, my husband was switched to Reminyl. The progression slowed for awhile during 2003. He started Namenda in Feb,2004, which had no impact on the slowing of the disease, which just progressed onward at that point, even Reminyl couldn't slow it down.
What I've learned from reading this board is that there's no standard, each patient is different, and react differently to medication.

This is my first time useing this service. My mom was diagnosed with AD 9/02...several months prior to that we knew something was wrong...just with her behavior and questions, etc.(April 2002)..She started Aricept Sept. 2002 and we did see that the progression slowed down alot. After 3 1/2 years, she is still in her home, but the situation is getting worse and I need some help with whatever I can get.
We check on her everyday...but she no longer can be with family gatherings...She is showing signs of meanness and cruel at times.
I have 5 siblings, but most of the time whatever gets done is me or one sister in Fryeburg...
Thanks-

Lanny Snow Doe

My heart goes out to you Lanny. I know how it is being the only one to care for my husband. I have NO help.
He too, get's mean and cruel. It hurts. I pray to God when we do go anyplace, that he won't be that way.
Some days he just fine, other's watch out. This past Sunday was a NIGHTMARE.
I've had to run an ad in the paper advertising for help.
Between him and our son, it's alot. It's too bad that all of you couldn't get together and take turns caring for her.
I knew something was wrong with Ken back in 1999, right before our son was born.
In 2001, we went through a series of tests, it wasn't getting any better and the dr. said there was nothing wrong.
We kept going along and I'm watching the progression. Last summer, we went through more tests. The Neurologist suggested he see a Psychiatrist. In December of last year, he was put on Aricept. It's helped ALOT, but the disease is still there and he's definately NOT the person he used to be.
If you ever want to talk, my email is listed below.

Cecelia

Cecelia,the only problem I had with Aricept was unexpected diahrea.I bought depends & hung on.It worked for me.The benefit outweighed the negative.

My father was diagnosed in 2002 after my mom died of cancer. the doctors first started with arecept and it worked till the past couple months. the problem is that he also has parkinsons, so the dr. we have is working more on the parkinsons then the alzheimers. i tell the dr. that he's seeing things and the dr. just messes with his parkinsons meds. i know that we need to deal with the parkingsons but i feel his memory sliping and i just want to give him something that will help with memory.

All good posts on this topic of Aricept. I see our experience with our uncle in each one. He was diagnosed in 01 with late onset and has been taking it every since, now also takes Namenda and both helped him. Only thing I could add is he gets a lot of exercise by walking on the beach every day which I think is important, and he has a doctor of internal medicine guiding his meds and overall care. She consults the neurologist rather than him doing the prescribing.

Good luck with your husband

Jian

I also found this at the Alzinfo.org ask the experts site, hope it helps

Question
How long does Aricept remain effective?

ALZEXPERTS
Gunnar Gouras, M.D. - It continues to be effective for a long period of time. Often we will see patients decline substantially when they stop the medication because they feel it is no longer helping. This indicates to us that yes it is still helpful.

Hi, I am new to this website and my husband David has been diagosed with Alzeheimers. We believe he has had it for 2-3 yrs. My one of many questions is, have you found your love ones to sleep alot. It seems he is always sleeping. He is in the early stages and he is on Aricept. After reading all the emails it appears the bottom line is everyone is an individual and what may work for some will not work for others.

Thank each of you for giving me valuable information.

Linda, yes most do sleep a lot! My husband, unless I prod him, would sleep 18 out of 24 hours a day! I try to keep him up and busy as much as possible. Also, your husband will probably need an anti-depressant.
Try posting in the caregiver's forum. You will get many more answers to your questions as this sometimes is not noticed by all. Blessings

My Dad has had AD for about 2 yrs now....He is never tired and never sleepy...He is up at 2-3 am fully dressed and ready to go somewhere....Mother and I are just about to drop. He is up and down all night, thinking he has to pee. Wrong....but will not go back to bed...Usually we spend a good 2 hours looking for someone in the house that is stealing something...hello...it is 3 am.....how can you get them to get some rest...Tired...here..

Hi Teresa,
My Dad is also very restless and always wanting to be on the go but does wake us up at nightat times but does not wake us as yet..He use to wander around in his home but seems to stay in the room in ours....He also was losing everything and when I use to go to his home in Florida (once/month for the last few months until I brought him to our home last month) I would spend many hours looking for things which he hid..Now that he is in our home and in one room with it's own bathroom that problem is better..He only has a few places to hide things which I already know and quickly find them..Also, I think he feels they are "safter" now from someone "stealing them" since he is on the second floor and his condo was all one floor on the first floor...
I also would like suggestions on the restlessness. He cannot concentrate on TV other than enjoying the Raymond show (sometimes misses whats going on but can catch a funny part here and there and loves it) and a couple game shows..I understand Raymond is on all day Wednesdays on one channel and will tape it and use it when I am exhauted so I can sit a bit..Does your Dad enjoy any one show which you can also use?
Marci

My husband has been complaining of loose bowels for the past week. Today he also said he doesn't feel well. He has had all kinds of blood tests etc all normal. He has been on Aricept for several months now so I don't know if this is a side effect from the medicine or something else? Anyone experienced this. Looks like if it was a side effect of the medicine it would have started much sooner? Sandra22

My husband has loose bowels. He SWEARS that he can't poop, but he does. He has this issue with not being able to have a bowel movment. He poops well.
Ken has his nights where he's up and down all night long. He's only 46.
Ken sleep? HA! He would go all day and night some days if he could. He'll complain about being tired, but will keep going. Some nights I have to prompt him to go to bed.
I'm exhausted. We have a 6 year old son who requires his own special needs, as he is severely Asthmatic. So between him and Ken, I cry alot some days.

quote:

Originally posted by SnoJo:
Hi All, I'm new to this message board and need a little input. My husband's (Bob) Neurologist diagnosed Bob with "Early Onset" AD in February 2005. The Dr. immediately started Bob on Aricept and a month later, prescribed Nemenda. Our last Dr. Appt. the Neurologist informed us the Aricept only works or is affective for three months. Bob wants to stop taking the Aricept. Has anyone else encounted this? And if so, what were the results of your loved one, when they stopped taking the Aricept? Thank you in advance for your input and advice. It is greatly appreciated.
Regards,
JoAnn S.

Hi Snojo. Mom started on aricept 3 yrs ago. Last week they said it is no longer working and we are going to try exelon today for first time. She has also been taking namenda for about 2 yrs and will continue on it.

Neurolgist said sometimes another will work when one has stopped so don't let him stop taking his med without the Neur. changing to another please. It could have a bad backward effect on him.

re: how long does Aricept work?
My husband was on Aricept for 4 years. There were minor side-effects like diahrea at first, but that corrected itself quickly. After a couple of years I started to question whether it was still doing its job, but the neurologist said it was dangerous to take him off. she said she'd seen people 'crash' when the drug was stopped. So we continued. Then, on Jan. 15 of 2006 my husband suffered a grand mal seizure...right out of nowhere! His dosage of Aricept was cut in half (back to the 5 mg he started with). On April 1 (no joke) he had another seizure...not as severe, but still a grand mal. Very frightening if you've never seen one before. Result...they took him off the Aricept altogether. Apparently there is a slight chance that it can cause seizures if the person is in later stages of the disease.
If I had ever doubted that the Aricept was doing its job, I certainly don't now. My husband's condition went downhill so fast I was not able to adjust to each new phase before he went into another. His speech is almost non-coherent and he just cannot seem to understand even the simplest instructions I give him. He still knows who I am, but doesn't know my name, nor our children or grandchildren. He is only 63.
So, my advice to anyone thinking about taking their loved one off Aricept just because you don't think it's working...make sure you have something else to replace it. It was still working for us after 4 years!
RAS

My husband has EOAD and is 52. He has been on Aircept and Namenda for a year. He is not progressing as fast. We were told it could be 2 years to 20 years. Right now I just see little things and he is still working. Working takes a lot out of him and he sleeps alot when he is home. They just cut his aricept to 5 mg. last visit, a few weeks ago for the diarreah and he is better now. I pray it works for a long time. I t is amazing how diferent everyone reacts with Alz. You just pray everyday and live each day at a time I have learned. I am thankful for every good day. God Bless you all, Linn

Hi everyone,
I am new to this so pleas