Memantine User Reviews & Ratings (Page 2)

• DCa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 9, 2019

For Alzheimer's Disease "Problem. Patient forgets recent events and the doctor told us it was due to insufficient blood supply to the brain, and prescribed Dement (memantine). Immediately (2 days) condition worsens to hallucinations and confusion. Took some two other vitamins from a pharmacist for 3 months. Patient was clearly getting better, in fact, even the recent memory was getting better with the vitamins. Went back to the neurological doctor and explained everything to him. He told us to reuse memantine, and by the third day, the negative side effects were back. As of tomorrow, it will be taken off."

• Ano...
• March 23, 2019

For Alzheimer's Disease "I haven't experienced this firsthand, but I've been researching this drug thoroughly, and I am conflicted with its efficiency. Of course, it will be a different reaction for everyone; not everyone is the same. And I don't know which is harder: treating for it and getting side effects, or not, and losing your memory. My heart goes out to every person who has to go through that, and their families as well."

• Mom...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 10, 2023

For Alzheimer's Disease "My 82-year-old mother has dementia and ended up on memantine 21 mg ER. She was lethargic, dizzy, and confused. We assumed it was just the progression of her disease. Her PCP suggested stopping the memantine. My mother improved for several days as the drug left her system (I read it has a half-life of 100 hours.) After that, she became confused again, lethargic, and could barely speak. Adding the 21 mg back improved her condition for a while, but she eventually ended up lethargic and confused again. Our conclusion from this was that the dosage was much too high. After a week with a single 5 mg tablet a day, she is much more aware, is speaking in complete sentences, and has been getting out of her wheelchair and walking with a walker again. My advice is to monitor the patient taking this medication closely and do not allow doctors to rush to higher dosages."

• Hub...
• April 15, 2014

Memantine for Alzheimer's Disease "My wife tried to add Namenda as a component of combination therapy, but after continuous bouts of bronchitis, we terminated Namenda and, as a result, she was (in short order) able to get rid of the bronchitis. Since Namenda had seemed promising (initially, before bronchitis), we were very disappointed that it seemed necessary to eliminate that component of her treatment. Although our neurologist had not previously seen a case in which bronchitis was a side effect of Namenda, he suggested we try Namenda XR. We are thrilled that she has been able to take Namenda XR without experiencing such a side effect and that Namenda XR appears to be providing desired benefits."

• Ell...
• July 20, 2015

For Alzheimer's Disease "My mum, who has been diagnosed with vascular dementia and was at the stage of being extremely confused about where she was and who close relatives were, began taking memantine in January 2015. In short, it has given me my mum back. Mum is now relatively alert, has markedly improved memory, and is back in the present. I had never imagined such an improvement was possible. It's really strange to be having conversations with mum about what she was like before taking the drug. Viki."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 1, 2017

For Alzheimer's Disease "My husband has vascular dementia for approx. 4+ yrs. Has been on memantine for almost a yr., no changes for the good, we expected that mostly, but he's more depressed, talks about wanting to die, cannot feel when he has to pee and just wets himself, more unstable walking. I understand this could be a result of the dementia. So everything is impossible to judge. Thank you all for not giving up and for continuing to look for solutions! God bless you all, and help you find a cure. Thanks for your time..... Pat"

• bus...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 7, 2013

For Migraine "I began taking this medication on the recommendation of my neurologist for chronic migraines. I am currently taking Topamax and Elavil, and I am attempting to get off the Topamax because the neurologist felt it isn't helping any longer (I agree with her). I totally love the Namenda for my migraines! All I can say is if you are wanting to try something different, please do try this. I have virtually no side effects, maybe the dizziness if I had to pick one, but overall, it is working better than I could have ever hoped!"

• HTB...
• December 31, 2022

For Alzheimer's Disease "My mother, at age 82, has been taking the memantine for 2 months now. Before she started this, she was taking her own medication. Within 2 days of taking them, she started forgetting to take any medications. She began with 5 mg the first week, 10 mg the second week, 15 mg the third week, and 20 mg thereafter. My mum has been incredibly tired, feeling dizzy to the point of nearly falling over. She is extremely confused more than ever. A new year today, and she seems to not even know the time or day or where she is. She even started seeing things. New year tomorrow, I have decided I am no longer giving her these medications."

• gpa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 25, 2018

For Migraine "Very happy with this drug! I have tried a long list of supposed migraine prophylactic drugs over the last 15 years, but none have worked for me. Memantine is a game changer for me. I started at 5 mg and titrated up to 10 mg after a week. I very quickly began to see an effect with the 10 mg. The frequency of headaches was greatly reduced, and even the ones I did have were much milder, sometimes to the point that I didn't have to use my usual triptan. I am now at 15 mg for the last few weeks to see if I can get any further improvement. I have gone from having ~12 headaches a month to around 4 mild ones very quickly. I have no side effects that are apparent to me-a little burning in my legs for a few days when I increase the dose."

• Suz...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 26, 2019

For Alzheimer's Disease "My mother has dementia. She's been taking donepezil (Aricept) for about 5 years. 14 days ago, the Dr. added memantine (generic Namenda). My mother's confusion has amplified. I have researched the side effects, and confusion is one of them. I'm glad I found this site to know that others have had problems too, and it's not just me overthinking. I'm taking her off of it immediately."

• DIN...
• July 19, 2017

For Alzheimer's Disease "Experimental drug, they say it MAY slow progression. For most, it makes symptoms WORSE. Your doctor will not listen to you. Because they need to keep experimenting.... on your loved ones. My mother went from mild symptoms to a complete shutdown, actually unable to function. The doctor's solution was to double the dosage. Also, the drugstore wants to fill the script 5 to 7 days early EVERY month. This makes 14 months' worth a year, so you end up throwing pills away. Doesn't take much insight to see what's going on. Fix this and fix America's health care skyrocketing costs. Doctors have become drug reps and politicians. Pretty arrogant. I couldn't even have a conversation with the doctor about this drug, I knew more than him after 15 minutes of research."

• Ani...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 24, 2020

For Alzheimer's Disease "My mother-in-law was on Aricept for one year and could only take 5 mg a day because anything over that caused night terrors. Last week, her doctor said the disease was progressing too fast, so they put her on memantine. After taking only four pills, she could not speak, could not move her legs, had no idea where she was. We took her off the medication, and she is slowly gaining her speech and mobility back. Not sure if there is any permanent damage from the drug yet, but I definitely will never let her take it again."

• Fam...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 19, 2021

For Alzheimer's Disease "Mom has dementia. After taking memantine, she exhibited strange and unusual behavior. Up at night in a daze, highly unusual verbal statements, confusion, decline in balance. Told her doctor about her strange behavior, he totally ignored my comments, said it was dementia, not the drug, and doubled her dosage. On memantine, she acts as if drunk or out of her normal state of mind. I would not recommend. Might work better for some."

• Hea...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 1, 2019

For Alzheimer's Disease "My mum was put on memantine just over a year ago for symptoms from vascular dementia. The starting dose of 10 mg made her very sleepy, after consulting with the geriatrician (psychiatrist), it was increased to 15 mg, and the changes were almost instant. Mum started answering the telephone, having conversations again. No noticeable side effects. Recently, she has become very quiet and less chatty, so the dose has been increased to 20 mg. Mum has become very sleepy again, so not sure if it’s the dementia or meds. Time will tell. We are in Scotland, so meds are free."

• jld...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 10, 2020

For Alzheimer's Disease "My mom started taking memantine, and after taking it for two weeks, I believe this medication caused her to have very high blood pressure, 220/110. She NEVER had issues with her BP before. She had to go to the ER due to a subconjunctival hemorrhage, which was very scary! She immediately stopped taking this medication after that incident."

• Ron...
• April 12, 2016

For Migraine "I have been taking Namenda for almost a year for migraines, and it has worked beautifully. When my pharmacy ran out, I said OK for the generic memantine made by Sunpharma. Big mistake. My headaches returned. Coincidence? I think not. I was able to get the insurance to approve a refill with brand-name Namenda and will resume that tomorrow."

• Roc...
• March 13, 2018

For Alzheimer's Disease "My dad was in advanced stage Alzheimer's, experiencing hallucinations and garbled sentences. He has been on the medication for about 6 weeks, and I see a huge improvement. His hallucinations have disappeared along with his garbled sentences. He does experience headaches and lightheadedness. The first week on it, he was sleepy and mean, but this subsided. I don't know how long this will last, but I see a marked improvement."

• Anonymous
• January 10, 2018

Memantine for Alzheimer's Disease "My dad took this medication, and on the 7 mg and 14 mg did quite well. At first, I thought it was a miracle drug. Being time-released was wonderful, but it was so dang expensive. Almost $220.00 for a two-week supply. We got the generic from the VA, which is not time-released, and it was awful. We took him off it, and the hallucinations continue, but at least they are friendly people."

• Fra...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 30, 2022

For Alzheimer's Disease "My mum had a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s with mixed dementia. First week on initial dose of 5 mg and started day one of 10 mg. My mum became more anxious than ever, looked horrendous, and was unable to sleep well. She felt sick, had severe nausea, and got quite emotional and upset on the drug. The drug didn’t work for her. After 8 days, we were advised to stop the drug. I worried that trying the drug actually made her worse. Who knows - it’s all just a hit or a miss really. A trial for each person, I feel."

• Han...
• December 18, 2021

For Migraine "I have been suffering from migraines for the last 40 years. My neurologist just put me on memantine two weeks ago. I feel nauseated in the morning and have had some mild headaches for a few days when I change the dosage, but after that, I get better until I start the new dosage again. I started with 5 mg for one week and 10 mg for the second, now I started with 15 mg. The migraine is way better, still, the headache is there, but I didn't take any Maxalt since I started the memantine. I used to have 15-20 days of migraines every month. I can handle the headaches now. I will update this after a few months."

• Tes...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 24, 2020

For Migraine "I tried memantine for my migraines. It made me really dizzy, which I had already been struggling with after a concussion, and it made me feel drunk. My brain felt slow, my whole body felt heavy, and walking was really hard because of the dizziness. My period is also now 9 days late, and I know I'm not pregnant, and I have never missed a period in my life. I'm really glad this medication works so well for so many people, but the side effects were too much for me to handle."

• Jac...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 24, 2020

"I take 10 mg memantine daily for mood instability related to bipolar disorder type 2. It has changed my life for the better. I don't abuse my friends and family, my anxiety is significantly lessened, and I can act normally in social situations. I have been on it for 4 months now, and for the first time in many years I actually feel like I have a future. Memantine needs to be researched extensively for the treatment of mood disorders. It is insane to me that it is not more commonly used in non-Alzheimer's conditions."

• Anonymous
• January 29, 2010

Memantine "The side effect of dizziness and the associated tendency to fall were very bothersome. The hoped-for improvement in mental clarity (which is intermittent at present and results in confusion at unpredictable times and places) did not occur -- in fact, I would have to say that I felt 'spacey' on this medication rather than clearer in my thought processes. My doctor prescribed 'off-label,' so that may explain my negative experience. On the other hand, I wonder if the Alzheimer's patients are able to adequately articulate to their caregivers that they feel certain side effects such as dizziness or 'spacey' feelings. If not, the side effects could easily be attributed to the Alzheimer's disease rather than the medication."

• Sat...
• October 30, 2019

For Alzheimer's Disease "My mom is on memantine and donepezil for Alzheimer's for the past 6 months. She is doing well now. In the middle, she missed her pill for 1 week, and her condition became worse, like hallucinations, forgetting family members, and not dressing properly. After starting again, she recovered. I hope this works for her for a long, long time."

• Kel...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 8, 2022

For Migraine "I started at 5 mg memantine and worked my way up to 15 mg for migraines. The first few days my headaches were better, and I felt a little buzzed, but not in a terrible way (I could still function). By the time I got up to 15 mg, I had such bad vertigo I could hardly walk and felt like I was drugged. Side effects went away shortly after stopping it."