Aricept for Alzheimer's Disease User Reviews

• Eve
• February 29, 2020

"My mom took this for 4 days and it was the most horrible experience of all of our lives. She has very mild dementia from stroke and TIAs. We thought perhaps her inability to walk and anxiety could be helped by a neurologist and this was prescribed. We should have waited for the MRI. She did not eat hardly at all. She cried a lot and at night she went completely insane. She thought I was her mother. So the doctor took her off of it. Then the 2 weeks of withdrawal with hallucinations, diarrhea, etc, wandering around without clothes. I am afraid she will never come back to herself again. One of the worst things I have ever been through and I can't imagine how bad it was for her."

• ALZ
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 20, 2013

"63 yr old woman, early onset Alzheimer's diagnosed July 2013. Prescribed Aricept 5 mg and Namenda. Found Namenda made me agitated and angry so quit. 10 mg Aricept and serious side effects. While waiting for new doctor to take over past neurologist's care, have adjusted meds myself to keep the memory help - which is astounding - and lessens side effects which includes severe muscle cramps in legs, water retention, ankle and hand swelling, back pain, increased blood pressure, heart palpitations. I now take 1/2 of the 5 mg tablet in morning and am still retaining benefits with reduced side effects. Aricept restored my ability to read and gave me energy and focus I have not had in 3 years. Lower dose on most meds always works better for me."

• cjrow...
• September 13, 2010

"Two years ago my Mom used 5mg of Aricept for one month, she became almost a total zombie taking this medicine. Would not get out of bed, her mind was a lot worse than before she started taking it. A month ago she was put on 10mg of Aricept and after two doses was taken to the hospital, she was totally out of control and knew nothing of what was going on. It is not for everyone."

• annem...
• November 22, 2010

"I have been on this medication for 4 months now. I am 55 with early-onset Alzheimer's. I have noticed a significant improvement. I do not feel so much anymore as if I am walking around in a fog. I have not had any side-effects at all from this medication. I am hopeful that it will stave off a rapid progression of this disease."

• Bob...
• November 30, 2018

"I have been on Aricept 5mg at bedtime for 2 months . Was diagnosed just after I turned 60 this summer . I started having trouble finishing a sentence , my mind would go blank . I knew something was wrong . Had the blood test APOE test and scored 3/4 out of 4/4 . Aricept seems to be helping me think clearer . The side effects of Diarrhea first happen in the beginning , but went away . Don't give up on this medication . Its helping me ."

• Sana
• January 2, 2019

"My Mother was only on .5 mgs but was confused and strange on it. She was on it two weeks until finally I took her off . She has never been the same since. She used to follow a routine. Now her brain is terrible . It makes me sick to my stomach how much this drug deteriorated my Mother. She got a throats infection and a finger infection during that time , if you read the fine print 13 % of people get an infection on it. But they say, I don't believe them, that 12% get an infection on placebo . Making it 1% extra people that get an infection. Well then my Mom was the 1% and had to go on antibiotics that screwed her system up too. I really feel sick we gave her this drug. "

• Demen...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 20, 2013

"I noticed a big difference once starting this medication. I do Suduko puzzles everyday. Eventually, I stopped taking this medicine because of leg cramps that kept me up at night, and I could not do Suduko as well. Once I went back on the medicine, I could resume my puzzles. My pharmacist gave me Hylands for leg cramps and now I sleep better and am not so foggy. Very happy."

• Maple
• October 7, 2016

"Several years of vascular dementia and growing increasingly worse now, my 89 year old mother started aricept during the last month. First day she was like a new person, clear thinking with memory, energy, and motivated. Second day much less, and was dizzy and constipated by 6th day. Now appearing more confused than without the drug. Not a good experience, will be moving on."

• thewa...
• October 27, 2011

"In 2000, my mother suffered persistent diarrhea with this medicine, could not get rid of it until the medicine was stopped. My mother-in-law had the same problem this year. She also had delusions and paranoia, which have been almost eliminated by a medicine she started a month ago, Risperdone. If you try Risperdone, start with lowest dose, it makes her very sleepy and a side effect is depressed heart rate, can be dangerous. It also stimulates appetite, which was good for Mom, she was losing 1-2 pounds per week but the doctor cautioned against excess weight gain and concerns regarding diabetes. We're going to try 100 mg niacin, I've read that it can help cognitive function. Even when they don't know your name, they know when they are loved. Show them."

• Aldrich...
• May 11, 2013

"My mom has been on Aricept for 5 months, 5 mg. Mom has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Medication has helped her be more alert, making longer conversations, better effect. Short memory exists but her condition had not worsened. Will see neurologist to determine to increase medication to 10 mg. Mom's condition has been stable and we are hoping to slow the disease."

• mary
• June 16, 2019

"Had great hopes for Aricept to help but it left me very weak and sore from nausea and diarrhea 8 hours after taking. I could do very little all day. I weigh less than 100 lbs and think even 5 mg was too much for me. Glad it works for some . I will not take this med again."

• katyd...
• August 27, 2010

"My husband was diagnosed 10/21/2009 with moderate Alzheimers. He was started on Namenda for 4-6 weeks and then Aricept, 10mg. Before he took the medicines, he was roaming at night and hallucinating. After he took the medicines for a while, he stopped hallucinating, he wasn't confused as often, he can carry through a normal day, including eating out with friends 5 days a week, helping take care of the grandchildren, 6 & 10, use his riding mower, and yesterday, 8/17/10 he re-spooled his weedeater. He hasn't been able to do that for a long time. At this time he's suffering with long-time constipation and has just had a positive hemocult (stool test). A colonoscopy is next. Could this be a side-effect?"

• Denise
• November 24, 2007

"My father has been on Aricept for 6 weeks and has become delusional especially at night. My mother stopped the medication because he wasn't sleeping at all at night and thus neither was she. I don't see this listed as a side effect and don't know if the change in my father's behavior is related to the Aricept or just increasing severity of his dementia. Will have to wait and see if things get better now that he's off the drug. "

• Bob
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 20, 2019

"Update , now on 10 Mgs of Aricept for Alzheimer's. Memory has improved a bit but still some confusion when driving . Overall I feel like it is helping . Can now finish most sentences but mind still wanders . Time will tell . I'm turning 61 next well and very thankful for my Neurologist . God Bless."

• carol...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 24, 2015

"I have taken Namenda and Ariceptfor years. Memory has improved! Have had the vivid dreams others have described, also muscle cramps. Is am going to cut back on the Aricept and see if it helps....although usually enjoy my dreams!"

• Pehs
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 7, 2017

"My mother was on this medication for 2 weeks for early stages of Alzheimer's. The first week family thought we could see noticeable improvement. By the end of the 2nd week she was confused and defecating in her hand which she had never done before. The doctor discontinued and after a few days she was back to where she was before starting the med. My advice is watch your loved one closely for side effects."

• Carer
• May 18, 2016

"My mother (74) was prescribed Aricept when she was diagnosed about 5 years ago. She had very few side effects and seemed less anxious. However, there was no noticeable change in cognitive function, which has deteriorated fairly rapidly, especially in the last 2 years. It is hard to say whether the drug had any positive effect as I will never know what my mother would have been like without it. It may or may not have slowed the progression of the Alzheimer's."

• My dad
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 8, 2015

"My 82 year old dad went on this med to slow the memory loss. It did seem to help that but we have had uncharacteristic behavioral issues where he can't keep his hands off the ladies. So much that it is a problem in the assisted living memory care unit he lives in and now he has to go to a behavioral place to change his Medicene. Sheeeesh!"

• Furni...
• August 29, 2007

"Mom was having memory problems and was prescribed this drug. By the 4'th week on the drug, she was having delusions. It's been 6 months and the delusions seem to be reduced, but not gone. Caffeine seems to add to the problem so we are reducing her coffee. She also seems to get better when she exercises (walking)."

• Cajun...
• September 21, 2009

"My mother was on this as well for 6 weeks when the delusions started. The pharmacist said that it would take a little while to get out of her system. I did see a major improvement in her short term memory! Maybe the drug makers could alter the recommended dosage to once a week since this seems to be a build up before we see the delusions happen. I didn't want to take her off of it because of the improvement, but I did not want her to continue to wander out of the house because of the voices she was hearing."

• berta
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 27, 2019

"My MD tagged my DL (drivers licence)when she prescribed this med. When I asked why she said "we report every prescription of this med to the DMV." So (age 71) I took the written test and am scheduled for the road test. Proctor said "you did VERY well!" on the written test! Not too worried about the driving test (my 40 YO niece says "you drive better than I do!"). So be forewarned. Drug well tolerated, no issues. Is it doing anything good? Who knows?"

• just...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 21, 2023

"Neurologist prescribed Namenda. Too many side effects. Went on Aricept and was more confused, diarrhea, stomach cramps, resting heart beat 90, couldn't sleep. Excessive crying was frightening. No reason to cry. I came home one night and was planning a suicide attempt, crying and exhausted. I stopped taking it immediately. I have never had a thought about suicide. Very frightening. I'm a 66 y.o. woman with dementia. I did not experience anything positive with this medication."

• Tahs
• August 24, 2017

"At 78 my husband started on aricept 10mg for increasing symptoms of Alzheimer's . He did well for a long time . Memory improved. When he stared to decline again months later he was put on namzaric. Did great again for many months. He now has had increase in aricept. Showed improvement. Again. Wishing this would last."

• yogiman
• July 16, 2008

"After brain surgery my vocabulary and speech became very bad. A doctor suggested Aricept. I didn't notice any improvement in my speech but my kids did. Apparently it works for different things. Because of the surgery my short term memory is out. Long term memory is still there."

• KMP
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 2, 2022

"My dad was diagnosed with dementia and was prescribed Aricept. His demeanour changed to extremely agitated and almost violent. I had to stop giving it to him. It did nothing to help with his memory. I saw only negative impact on him from taking this drug."