Donepezil for Alzheimer's Disease User Reviews (Page 3)

• Des...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 19, 2024

"I am writing this for my husband. He was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's. During our visit with his neurologist last week, I asked if we couldn't consider some kind of therapeutic treatment. The doctor offered Donepezil. I had never heard of it. He started him on 1/2 pill per night for 30 days, then will increase to 1 full 10mg tablet after that. I have to say - I am so extremely impressed so far with how much this medication has helped him. I started noticing a huge difference by the 2nd day, and by the 3rd day, he was smiling again and even making jokes. He hasn't done this for over a year. He is more 'present' and more aware of and interacting with his surroundings. He is talking in complete sentences. He isn't getting angry with the dogs and cats. He is actually engaging in discussions with me again. He was even able to read some simple instructions to put together an item I bought him for Christmas. He hasn't been able to use tools for over a year. I'm so grateful."

• Cow...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 14, 2017

"Doctor started my 89-year-old grandmother on 5 mg of donepezil for 2 weeks. Noticed no change, positive or negative. Doctor increased it to 10 mg. She's been on it for 3 weeks. My husband and I (even my 11-year-old son) feel her memory has gotten worse. The past two days, I decreased her intake to 5 mg. I will continue with 5 mg for now to see if this improves. But after reading many of the posts, I may stop having her take donepezil."

• son...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 15, 2024

"My wife was diagnosed two months ago with early-stage cognitive impairment evidently caused by AD, at 68 years of age. She had recently experienced trouble finding words, especially when ending sentences with nouns. After a battery of tests and a scan, her spinal tap confirmed AD plaque. Her neurologist prescribed donepezil, 5 mg to start. I have noticed an almost immediate improvement in her language skills and her more positive mood (less anxiety about her prognosis), and with no side effects. We have elected to stay at the 5 mg dose as it is working, and she is prone to be sensitive to side effects from medications. Note that the prescribing instructions say 'a higher dose of 10 mg may or may not provide a statistically significantly greater clinical benefit than a 5 mg dose'. More is not always better."

• stu...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 20, 2024

Donepezil "Drug has made a significant impact on me. Cleared up most of my confusion, loss of focus, and overall insecurity feelings. I have experienced many of the minor side effects listed in articles, but none that could not be worked through."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 21, 2025

Donepezil "I have been recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, and Aricept has been very helpful, and I have easily tolerated this medication. I’m grateful. I am not yet on the larger daily dose, but I am looking forward to that."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 26, 2023

"Mum has Alzheimer’s and is 91. She was repetitive, incontinent, but mobile (could walk unaided), good-natured and enjoyed a coffee and crossword with us (only got the easier words but still enjoyed it), read the papers, but after just over a month on donepezil 5mg then 10mg, she has become vacant, has a grey/yellow complexion, doesn’t eat or drink much, has lost weight, and can hardly walk. Only this evening, she could not climb the stairs (first time this has happened) and was in pain. She has experienced a real deterioration in the last two weeks, so we have stopped her taking it. I hope it’s not too late."

• Tkd...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• September 2, 2024

"10 mg helped a 100-year-old with severe Alzheimer’s to lessen episodes of confusion, word-finding difficulty, and difficulty making full sentences. Side effects: low body temperature, slow heart rate, also episodes of arrhythmia, muscle cramps. But once they became very physically ill and couldn’t swallow the pill, we had to stop it. There was then a sharp decline in cognitive ability. Now they don’t know how to swallow the pill. Unfortunately, the ODT tablet is not available here."

• MJC...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 17, 2023

"It has not seemed to improve any of my symptoms, and today I experienced a severe psychotic episode in the early afternoon. I believe I'm going to discontinue (since this is Friday) and contact my doctor on Monday. If I have improvement this weekend, I'll be very thankful to God for my decision. I'll have to discuss with my physician after the weekend."

• pat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 11, 2025

Donepezil "I have been taking 5 mg each night with similar side effects as mentioned in other reviews: leg cramps and wild dreams. I've only been on the medicine for 3 months, but I have recognized a positive difference. I still function fairly well with driving, chores, working out, cooking, etc., but definitely can tell that my life is progressively changing. I encourage everyone reading these reviews to support your local and national Alzheimer Association groups. It's a horrible disease and life changer for families."

• Anonymous
• October 5, 2021

"I have been using this for almost two years at a dose of 10 mg. I have still forgotten names and have trouble as I will forget a story I was just trying to tell. Seems to be getting worse, but I can still exist. For people who have a problem with nightmares - do not take your meds late in the day or at night."

• Cvc...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 30, 2024

"I started taking Donepezil in April 2024 after being diagnosed with dementia. Immediately, I was overwhelmed with muscle cramps, dizziness, headaches, and nausea. I can’t sleep and am always tired. My doctor said I had to continue taking it as prescribed, that I’d get used to it. The dizziness and nausea eased up after 2-3 weeks, but the insomnia and muscle cramps are still terrible. Headaches are less frequent but severe and often keep me mostly homebound. My life has changed so much. I’m so sick that I hardly go out with friends, and they notice my withdrawal. Muscle cramps and unsteady walking have stopped my favorite exercise — cardio drumming. The nausea and vomiting have meant a loss of 12 pounds. My memory seems worse, though I know my family and friends, recall old times and major events. I’m confused about dates, like my wedding."

• Pet...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 5, 2023

"Absolutely amazing for us. I'm part of a caregiver group, so I knew results could vary. Also was told, 'don't expect to see anything, it just slows progress.' Well, my mother gained amazing results, with no side effects. Could remember 3 weeks back, knew who I was, and 2.5 years later is still very functional. I know it won't last as I'm seeing a decline, but she still knows who I am morning and night and doesn't show sundowner symptoms. That's a huge change than before."

• Sev...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 14, 2022

"My husband was diagnosed with severe dementia 3 months ago and was put on 5 mg Aricept. He had no side effects whatsoever, and within days we noticed a marked improvement on all fronts-chiefly recall and executive functioning. His geriatrician increased the dosage to 10 mg daily, and whilst there were no side effects, there were no further marked changes in his cognition."

• Car...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 15, 2024

"Been taking donepezil for a little over 2 years. Began on a very low dose, had zero side effects. Currently taking the max dose, stools are rather soft but not watery. Often feel very tired, however, I force myself to walk and do light exercise. I have tried to enter Alzheimer's studies but pass all cognitive tests with high scores and have not been accepted in any study. Assume medication is helping or I was misdiagnosed."

• Bil...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 27, 2025

Donepezil "I take a 10 mg tablet of Aricept (donepezil) just before sleep, after having taken 3 mg of melatonin 30 min earlier. I normally fall asleep almost immediately. Usually, I get 6-8 hours of deep sleep and awaken with a clear mind and good memory. Working alone in my academic office, I am now much more productive than last summer, when dementia was destroying my career. Now, only occasionally does my memory fade, mainly when I feel sleepy (cured by a nap). My dementia never occurs during my daily Zumba classes, when I do fast complex choreography with a strong mind and clear memory (like most of the women but none of the older male dancers). Also, I bicycle fast all over Houston streets without getting confused or lost. My dementia does not arise during conversations with friends and neighbors, although I sometimes forget their names. In summary, Aricept has successfully treated most of my dementia at age 76."

• Mar...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 4, 2024

"I just started donepezil to possibly help with my memory problems and possible slowing of word salad. I also take Mirtazipine once a day. I experienced some problems but about one week to 10 days in, I started having coughing issues which led to extreme hot flashes and sudden onset of nausea. I’m not sure if this is from the donepezil with the Mirtazipine or not. I am 72. I went through the change when I was 40. HELP please. Thank you"

• Ano...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 5, 2025

"I am an 82-year-old with late onset Alzheimer's. I have taken 10 mg donepezil since 11/2023. Memory decline has been slow, and other functions - such as driving, DIY, etc. - have shown little deterioration. Dreams, never a previous issue, have been unpleasant and unsettling. They centered on latent fears about ultimately losing connection with everyone, concerns that were previously transient and peripheral. After reading other contributors' comments, I decided to take donepezil in the mornings instead of pre-bedtime. The threatening dreams, in various scenarios, disappeared, a great relief. The possibility of dizziness never materialized, so it proved a very beneficial change."

• Anonymous
• August 2, 2011

Donepezil "My mother took Aricept 5 mg for one week. She has vivid dreams and cannot tell if they are in fact dreams or real. Also, very tired."

• mot...
• August 25, 2009

Donepezil "My mum has been on this medicine for 8 weeks now and her cognitive thinking and problem solving have become more fluent, she also looks much more alert."

• WTF...
• September 21, 2016

Donepezil "Father was almost himself again with Aricept, but it gave him uncontrollable diarrhea so he won't take it."

• sam...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 22, 2019

Donepezil "This was used on one of my parents. Expensive - does not help and caused diarrhea."

• SKC...
• October 26, 2015

Donepezil "Trouble sleeping, stomach pain, headache, constipation, fever,"

• ine...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 12, 2019

Donepezil "When I began taking this medication, Aricept, I immediately began having very bad stomach cramps. I made it 4 days, and the cramps were relentless. I had to stop taking this medication."

• min...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• September 7, 2013

Donepezil "5 mg helped but eventually it worked less well. 10 mg helped a lot for a long time but I think it stopped working again. No side effects."

• Cal...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 27, 2019

"Donepezil made 81-year-old mother in mid-stage dementia VERY dizzy. A big NOPE from me."