What is Memantine?
Category: Prescription Drugs
Most popular types: Namenda Namenda XR Ebixa Show all
Memantine is the first in a novel class of Alzheimer's disease medications acting on the glutamatergic system. It is also being tested for use as a cognitive enhancer in a variety of other conditions.
| Purpose | Patients | Evaluations | Perceived Effectiveness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cognitive impairment | 41 | 16 | |
| Memory problems | 30 | 16 | |
| Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis | 24 | 7 | |
| Early onset dementia | 19 | 0 | |
| Corticobasal degeneration | 15 | 1 | |
| Brain fog | 13 | 6 |
- Major
- Moderate
- Slight
- None
- Can't tell
Side effects
Side effects as an overall problem
| Severity | Evaluations | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Severe | 3 | |
| Moderate | 7 | |
| Mild | 10 | |
| None | 48 |
Commonly reported side effects and conditions associated with Memantine
| Side effect | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Ataxia (lack of coordination) | 1 | |
| Balance problems | 1 | |
| Brain fog | 1 | |
| Constipation | 1 | |
| Difficulty urinating (dysuria) | 1 | |
| Dizziness | 1 |
Duration
Stopped taking Memantine
| Duration | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 1 month | 10 | |
| 1 - 6 months | 8 | |
| 6 months - 1 year | 4 | |
| 1 - 2 years | 7 | |
| 2 - 5 years | 6 | |
| 5 - 10 years | 3 | |
| 10 years or more | 2 |
What people switch to and from
Patients started taking Memantine after stopping:
| Treatment | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Pregabalin (Lyrica) | 2 | |
| Amantadine (Symmetrel) | 1 | |
| Butalbital-acetaminophen-caffeine (Fioricet) | 1 | |
| Duloxetine (Cymbalta) | 1 | |
| Levetiracetam (Keppra) | 1 |
Patients stopped taking Memantine and switched to:
| Treatment | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Candesartan (Atacand) | 1 | |
| Memantine (Namenda) | 1 | |
| Paliperidone (Invega) | 1 |
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