Donepezil for Lewy Body Dementia User Reviews

• lil...
• September 20, 2019

"My mum was started on 5 mg donepezil 2 months ago. Prior to taking it, her speech was poor, she had a very low mood and very bad memory loss. She also had some paranoia and delusions. She was declining rapidly. For the first few days on the new tablet, I felt she was getting worse with increased confusion, poor appetite, muscle cramps, and tinnitus at night. I encouraged her to continue for a few weeks. After week 1, she began to improve. Her speech improved as did her mood and her psychiatric symptoms have stopped. She is smiling again, and although her memory is still poor, she is more independent with self-care. I feel this drug has certainly halted her decline. It was increased to 10 mg but was reduced again as side effects were too severe. The 5 mg dose is working wonders, thank goodness. I suggest not giving up on this too soon and expect some teething problems. Find the best dose for your loved one. It may help you get back some precious quality interaction with them."

• Qua...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 23, 2020

"My wife is 53. She was diagnosed with LBD (Lewy Body Dementia) just over 3 years ago. She was still working effectively as a school psychologist in mid-2017. By December 2018, she could no longer work. She was having hallucinations regularly. She was sleeping 16 to 18 hours per day. Her ability to communicate effectively was maybe a 5 on a 10-point scale. She had a multitude of other symptoms, many of which she is still suffering, and while she could take care of personal hygiene tasks, she required someone to be home with her at all times. In March 2019, she started 5 mg donepezil. She tolerated it well, so we bumped it to 10 mg. By May 2019, her hallucinations were gone, and her ability to communicate was up to 7/10. Today, she is still doing well. I am even able to leave her home alone for the day. She still sleeps a lot and has a lot of Parkinson’s symptoms, but cognitively she is alert. I’m told that donepezil doesn’t work as well with many, but for her, it is a miracle drug."

• One...
• September 15, 2015

"My husband was recently diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia, and the worst part was the hallucinations he was having of people coming in the house, threatening him, stealing things, hiding things, and pretending to be me or one of his daughters. There was no dealing with these imaginary people. Our neurologist suggested trying donepezil (Aricept), and we started with 5 mg and moved to 10 mg since he had no side effects. It was amazing: his hallucinations stopped completely by the third day! They have never come back."

• eye...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 23, 2014

"Within a week of starting on 1/2 5 mg pill, Aricept generic, my spouse's verbalization improved to the point where others noticed and volunteered a positive comment. Now on the full 5 mg pill per day, there are no side effects. And the psychoses have become fewer, shorter lasting, and less bizarre. The long and short term memory, though, has neither improved nor worsened. And my spouse has virtually no spatial or temporal awareness, which is no better or worse than before the meds."

• Car...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 30, 2020

"Donepezil has been a miracle drug for my husband, who was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia last year. Over the past 6 months, he had declined a lot, with constant hallucinations and incoherent speech. He didn't recognize me most of the time. It had reached the point where I couldn't provide the care he needed and was considering assisted living. After the doctor prescribed donepezil 5 mg, my husband started improving within days. He was able to speak clearly again, and his hallucinations diminished considerably. He now recognizes me all the time! The side effects were minimal, just some nausea the first week. I hadn't had high hopes, so I was amazed at the difference. I don't know how long this improvement will last, but I am grateful for every day. I wish everyone with LBD could get a correct diagnosis and then try donepezil."

• Mit...
• September 15, 2015

"My husband was recently diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia, and the worst part was the hallucinations he was having of people coming in the house, threatening him, stealing things, hiding things, and pretending to be me or one of his daughters. There was no dealing with these imaginary people. Our neurologist suggested trying donepezil (Aricept), and we started with 5 mg and moved to 10 mg since he had no side effects. It was amazing: his hallucinations stopped completely by the third day! They have never come back."

• Sta...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 13, 2020

"My husband started on donepezil 5 mg 1 year ago and upped dosage to 10 mg 2 months later. I see no improvement."