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My mother took Namenda 5 mg and seemed to do well, however, she became mean and uncooperative.. The only thing that had changed was the dosage of Namenda had been increased from 5 mg to 10 mg. When we decreased the Namenda back to 5 mg, my father said it was like night and day. She was cooperative again. Now the psych doctor insists on increasing her Namenda dosage and she is mean and mostly uncooperative. The psych doc said it is probably because her dementia is progressing. Anyone have any similar experience with a loved one and Namenda?

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I will add that we experienced this twice when the Namenda dosage was increased. Each time we decreased the dose on our own back to the lower dosage and mom seemed to do well with it. This is the third time the psych doctor insists on increasing the Namenda dosage stating Namenda should not do this. One person I met in a doctor's office told me the same thing happened to her mother when they tried her on Namenda, i.e. she became mean. They tried their mother on it two different times and both times she became mean so they chose not to give it to her. I am just wondering if the Namenda is her problem rather than the dementia. I do want to do what the doctor says but I just have concerns the medicine may be having unwanted side effects.
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My Mother was on Namenda(5mg. then 10mg.) for several years, and I do beleive it helped to prevent a rapid decline in her cognitive abilities,but over the course of her time taking it I began to realize that the times of the day that she was most angry and uncooperative with me were shortly after taking her Namenda. It took me a while to identify this because I never expected it and her Dr. never mentioned that there could be a corelation in all of our many conversations about her meanness towards specifically me as her caregiver. As I said it got progressively worse and I finally made the connection. I talked with her Dr. and he agreed that sometimes this gets worse the longer someone is on the med.We agreed to remove her from the med., since she seemed to be declining more, cognitively, and she seemed to have hit a wall with what meds could do to help. BE PREPARED, though, when you remove the Namenda, there is likely to be a rapid,irreversable, decline in her cognition. We eventually placed my Mom in a facility, her cognition is very poor,BUT, she seems much calmer and happier. Hope this helps.
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I have a story about Namenda... I am a caregiver for my grandmother-in-law, and she had been declining fairly slowly into Alzheimer's, and her neurologist put her on Namenda to try and keep the decline to a minimum. Shewas able to walk and talk fairly well before he put her on it, and only needed basic help with everyday things. She became incontinent almost immediately upon starting Namenda, and after 4 doses, the fifth morning, she would not wake up. She was completely out of it, and went to the hospital. She was practically comatose for 4 days, and when she came back to, she was unable to do much. We thought that was going to be the end. The doctors suggested taking her off of all her meds, and we did. 5 days later, it was like she woke up from a bad dream, and was back with us! Nothing short of a miracle. However, since then, she has declined so quickly, and is now angry and aggressive all the time, except for breakthroughs of the nice grandma we all love. I guess I'm just saying that it's different for everyone... especially with Alzheimer's, some things work for a day or a week, then they stop doing that they're supposed to... it's like a guessing game most of the time.
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We recently made the decision to discontinue my mother's treatment with Namenda XR. Aggression is listed as one of the side affects, but Mom's weakness, dizziness, sleepiness, and stomach upset are what prompted us to to take her off of it. In her case, the benefit does not appear to outweigh the side effects. namendaxr/possible-side-effects.aspx

At the bottom of the page is a link to "Full Prescribing Information, including Patient Information". That site shows graphs comparing the progress of patients on Namenda XR to patients taking a placebo.

I hope these will be helpful to you.
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Hmm, this is interesting to me. Mom's been on Namenda XR for a bit now, and I always give it to her in the a.m. Before that, it was Namenda 10 mg morning and evening for a year or so. Have not noticed any aggression to speak of in the mornings, but now lately in the evenings, not every night, she's been on the nasty side. Will go to bed and about an hour later emerge from her bedroom looking mean and telling me to go home. (So anger at the end of the day because of Namenda XR in the a.m. I'm thinking not). Wondering if she'd go down the tubes completely with no Namenda at all, since they're doing away with the regular Namenda. I'm real tired of trying to get her meds to work for her together (a bit of mirtazapine, the divalproex and the donazepil). Every day is different and none too happy for her. Some afternoons-evenings are hell for no apparent reason, some not. The family doc wants no part of working with the psych meds, and the visits to the neurologist don't seem to be very helpful. His nurses have me feeling I'm expecting too much, yet he happily prescribed the psych meds. I get the distinct feeling they just don't know much. I know the disease is probably progressing. Some days would just love to drive her to the ER and drop her off.
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My mil has been on this for about 4 years. As she is progressing, her anger is getting worse. She was getting up at night, yelling and slamming things around etc...all because she was mad at her other son for not visiting or help us. We went to the Dr, and he got her on a low dose of generic Xanax. THAT made a difference of night and day! The Dr said that is an easy fix. She just needed a little. She was never an angry person before, so that is all it took. Don't get me wrong, she still gets a little mad, but nothing like what I was waking up to. Good luck.
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Husband just started on Namenda 3 days ago. I was surprised when Dr.wanted more meds. After reading these comments I feel forget them as he is a lion turned into lamb and don't want that reversed. Please caregivers give more comments w your reaction of the pill. I really appreciate these comments.
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My mother is on Namenda 10mg twice a day, I really don't think its the medication Namenda I believe its the dementia because my mom has some aggressive days that last for weeks but her good days go on for months. As a matter of fact before the Dr. put my mother on Namenda he aggressive behavior would go on for months so my experience since my mother been on Namenda has been the best medication to help her with her memory and control her aggressive behavior.
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They've put my dad on aricept and namenda. Quite honestly I don't notice any difference. He was aggressive before dementia, so I can't gauge that. They don't have a pill for Alzheimer's. People need to face facts.
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My husband has FXTAS which involves severe dementia. He started on Namenda around 5 years ago, when he had already progressed pretty far into disability, both mental and physical. I have thought the Namenda stabilized him, because any declines happened more slowly, and he seemed to plateau at the same level for many years. He is still basically healthy, but with a very impaired brain from his genetic illness, and still on Namenda (10 mg twice a day). He has never exhibited any bad side effects from it. I always thought it kept him from declining more rapidly.
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Husband misdiagnosed with ALZ had NPH - psych Dr. put on Aricept - after 2 weeks of h*ll and Dr. saying "Aricept doesn't do that" finally he said "well just take him off it and see what happens". It was like waking from bad dream. Husband said "Where did I go? I don't ever want to go there again."
Anytime a Dr. says any drug "doesn't have that effect" I would recommend getting a 2nd opinion.
Internist questioned why husband taken off Aricept - said usually any bad reaction usually happens within a few days of starting med. I said it did. He then agreed this was not the medicine for my husband, too.
Dr's are only human and are not with patient enough to know what the total effect is. Caregiver needs to report all problems and if necessary get 2nd, 3rd opinion
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Cindyoh, do go to the link at the bottom of the Namenda page (and look at the graphs. Mom's neurologist tried her on Aricept first then went to Namenda XR (and there is some difference between Namenda and Namenda XR in side effects and benefits). She said some patients show improvement, but for most it is a long-term strategy, slowing the deterioration rather than making them better.

People have different tolerances, reactions, and outcomes; those we care for have different illnesses in different stages. You as the caregiver are the closest and best observer, the best person to make the call.
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My husband has recently started taking Namenda XL. Before it was 10 mg. twice a day. Sometimes it was hard getting the second dosage, because he would leave. He still drives and works with a friend afternoons and early evenings repairing tractors and repainting them. He hasn't gotten lost going back and forth. But he is experiencing difficulty in breathing, so this week we have an appointment made to see a cardiologist. I doubt if it is the Namenda, as this started happening only about four days ago, and he has been on Namenda XL about six weeks. He had been on the two a day dosage, but never complained of shortness of breath. As for being cranky, he is difficult at times
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I hadn't finished, when the computer decided I was! But my husband can get difficult. It is his nature...I will have to see how much more this aggressiveness lasts, and if it is possibly Namenda. He already has urinary problems. I wouldn't want that to worsen.....his short term memory is getting worse....but otherwise he is about the same....marymember
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What is NPH?
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Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus
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neuro just took my husband off Namenda because we think it was causing him to hear music in his head when he tried to sleep and also increased his dizzy spells. He is on Aricept. Will be going back to neuro in 2 months to see if removing it was a good idea. In our case husband has probably Lewy Body Dementia and neuro said altho Namenda is definitely helpful with ALZ they are not sure that it is with LBD
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I found this:
"Could Namenda cause Aggression - eHealthMe"
ehealthme/ds/namenda/aggression

MY OPINION ONLY:
Many drugs can cause RARE side effects in geriatric populations - Aging causes differences in how medications are metabolized by the body (That is one reason doses need to be reduced or carefully titrated in the elderly).

JUST MY OPINION.
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NPH - some indications - wlaking slowly with"wide apart" gait - also like feet "stuck to floor" in addition to memory problems.
As I was advised - if your Dr. is over 50 (tests for this used to be done regularly and were discontinued. Dr's over 50 and young enough to still be practicing -probably .
It basically means water is collecting on the brain. A shunt is placed and in my husbands case meant walking/falling issues were greatly improved.
Thinking was also helped ,too. But to a lesser degree.
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Sorry for typo - If your dr. is over 50 and you suspect NPH get a 2nd opinion from a younger Dr. as this test is making a comeback. If NPH is the cuase there is a chance it can be helped (unlike ALZ which can't be reversed).
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Namenda is a double-edged sword. Yes, it improves memory, but often the patient remembers what they are angry over. The ability to hold a grudge is restored. Fix the anger before you repair the memory.
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Doctors don't live in the home with the patient. I do as I please doctors be dammed. I live with my mom and I know how she reacts. My style is to fire the doctor and find one who listens to what we are saying. If it's having a bad effect and the doctor is not listening to you, maybe it's time to find a new doctor.
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Regardless of what the doctor is telling you, if she is doing well and non aggressive on 5 mg. keep her on that. Doctors are not Gods and you have every right to refuse the dosage, and in fact I have refused all the drugs normally given my husband (Aricept, Namenda, etc.) for dementia because of the side effects and these drugs will NOT CHANGE the diagnosis. Listen to your gut.
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My mom, 91, is on Namenda - I think it's 5mg. She's little at 91 lbs. Anyhow, she's taken it for over a year, and isn't mean or nasty. I haven't noticed it helping much, but then again I haven't seen much more decline than when the dr. put her on it either.... she forgets, short term memory sucks. But she's not nasty. I give her Namenda XR at dinnertime, so if there was any nastiness to be had, she would be in bed sleeping anyhow.... She also changes the Exelor patch that goes with it nightly. Her dr. explained to me that the patch was the butter, and Namenda was the lobster, and they both work alone but together are much more effective and "better". She is still on Namenda XR and the patch so we'll see. She has vascular dementia, according to her dr, but refuses an MRI.
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The simple matter of the fact is what we all ready know and that drugs always have side effects and depending on the person these can be good or bad. I just recently started giving my mother Namenda and we will see what happens. I know that in the end the results are going to be the same. She will decline and nothing except a direct intervention from God will stop this disease. Giving these drugs to are loved ones only prolongs the suffering on both the caregiver and the patient. Still we do it because we refuse to quit and give up until it's absolutely unavoidable. Maybe one day in a few years they will discover a cure, but I truly doubt they will because the brain is such a complicated organ. The one organ that controls our whole life force. Still we must not give up.
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my husband was on it for a short time (along with Aricept that he is still on) and in his case he kept hearing music in his ears so neuro took him off
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My husband was on Namenda for about 3 months and we did notice an increase in aggression but it did make him seem much more present in his daily activities. But he just decided he didn't want to take it anymore and stopped about three months ago and aggression did stop after that time, so?
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My husband has dementia and has been prescribed Aricept and Namenda. He has been on 10 MG for 2 1/2 months. He has become very depressed, weak, belligerent, and uncooperative that I took him off 3 days ago. He's still having the problems, but I just can't keep going this way. He wasn't this way before the Namenda.
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My husband, 51 years old, was treated with Aricept for five months with no response good or bad. The doctor added Namenda XR 7mg and he started hallucinating. He would talk to himself and laugh in the mirrors. When the prescription was increased gradually to 28mg his laughter towards his reflection became anger. He would tell "that guy" to get out, say f you and call it many bad names. His anger became so intense, I had to take him to the emergency room to get treatment a few days ago. So yes, Namenda can definitely aggravate some individuals with Dementia.
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My 27 yr. old son was put on this and his happy, friendly easy going personality totally changed to an aggressive, angry ; the least little thing setting him off. I do not like a med that causes this drastic of a turn in people. He does not have dementia, so it is not the progression of that as some doctors claim. It is the medication. I am afraid of what it could cause a person to do. Acting out anger in a violent way. I think it needs to be re-evaluated by FDA.
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