Any positives with Memantine?

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Hi

Has anybody had any experience of menantine?

My parent has started it a few weeks ago aged 76 and just wondered if anybody saw any positives from it? Does it slow down the decline or keep it at bay at all?
Many thanks

It did help my late mother for a brief period of time. (She was in her late 80s and well through dementia by the time it was prescribed for her. She'd have been 88 at least.)

She had forgotten that she'd ever been married, though she seemed to know that I was her daughter.

One evening after starting Memantine, she looked at me and said "My name is [Forename Married Surname]."

It's hard to say because dementia can be like this anyway, but we felt my dad plateaued on it for almost a year. But then at a certain point it was as if it stopped working and the decline began again. Sorry you're going through this.

I would say absolutely no change for my mum. But who really knows? Maybe her decline would be even quicker without it.

Thanks to all of you for responding. Seems it may keep the wolf from the door so to speak, even just a little while 🙏🏻

I'll just add that Mum was on Aracept first and then Memantine was added to her prescription (together with the Aracept).

Wishing you all the very best.

I’ve not heard of that first medication x

It's a brand name for Donepezil. Usually Donepezil is the first medication they try (or Riverstigmine / Galantamine - which are the same types of medication).

For people who can't tolerate any of those / due to other health issues, they can offer Memantine.

Alternatively they can add Memantine to one of those other 3 once dementia has progressed a bit.

It's impossible to know what any of the memory medications are doing on an individual level because we can see them both with and without them, but we know that if you give 100 people the medication and 100 no medication the ones who are medicated will have a slower progress overall.

It's also worth being aware that memantine can have some "positive" side effects, it can often help people feel a bit calmer / less anxious / less distressed.

That’s really useful and reassuring too. Thank you x