Has anyone used Aricept?

In your state, you could find a doctor who can prescribe the right type and amount of cannabis. Studies showed it removes plaque from the brain. I do not know enough about it to know how that affects the Alzheimer's person.

How about nutrition supplements instead of prescription medicines, perhaps a quick melting 5000 mcg of Vitamin B12, maybe a teaspoon of coconut oil, maybe 'Be Calm Magnesium', maybe 500 mg of a buffered powdered Vitamin C, and perhaps 1000 or 2000 iu of Vitamin D3. might help her better in the long run. The C, & magnesium could be mixed into a juice drink. The Vit B12 melts under her tongue, and the D3 is so tiny a capsule it is easy to swallow. The coconut oil could be used in cooking up her eggs or oatmeal, or sauteing veggies. Eating fruits like blueberries, strawberries, & black berries are supposedly helpful too. When adding flavors to cooking, rosemary is said to be the 'herb of remembrance' -- but only use freshly ground, not whole, with an elder. Otherwise they will say you are giving them twigs or sprigs to eat. (LOL)

My mother started on Aricept about 2 weeks ago, so it is too soon for us to know if it helps. The doctor started her at the lower dosage, so her body has time to adjust, and will increase it in a few weeks.

He said that if she suffers side effects that he will discontinue it. He says that any benefits are small enough that they aren't worth side effects.

My mom had noticeable Alzheimer's (I think stage 4) when she was diagnosed. I moved her close to me about 2 months later. She has been taking Aricept since her diagnosis. As far as I can see, she's never had any side effects.

So from diagnosis in Feb. 2015 (stage 4) to July 2018 (stage 6) she has progressed 2 stages in 3 years. Is that progress or effectiveness? I don't think so.

The gripe I have about Alzheimer's drugs is there is no way to do a double blind study (that's the nurse in me).  Alzheimer's is such an individual disease, there is no way to see if it actually works. Who knows if the progression is lessened (because that's all it does) or not? You are going to pass through the different stages whether you take the drug or not. The big drug companies are making millions on it however, with the "chance" of slowing the progression. People are desperate.

I'm going to speak with mothers doctor about stopping it. But, since she's been taking it for a long time, she will need to be weaned off it or it can cause nasty side effects. Go to Drugs.com and read up on it.

She's getting cranky (heck, at 95 1/2, I would be too!) and is refusing medicines (spitting them out). She is beyond any help the drug could give her at this point. It really is for the early stages when you still have more of your mind. Poor mom doesn't remember or know a thing anymore. She lives in a void. So sad.

I wouldn't be bothered taking it if it caused any side effects. Just my 2 pesos.

My mom was on aricept 10 mg for at least 10 years starting when we first noticed signs of memory loss. She had no side effects from it, and I think it delayed a more rapid decline, but it’s hard to say. How can anyone say what her decline would have been without it? She was taken off it when the doctor was DCing all her meds that could have contributed to unexplained (at the time) heart rate drop. She’s now on 7 mg namenda which seems to be leveling out her monthly bouts of “full moon” syndrome.

I don't have anything good to say about Aricept or Namenda at this point but it may have been helpful in the beginning.

Yes, my aunt was given Aricept when hospitalized because we suspected stroke due to bad memory episode, really obvious. They tested, saw no sign of stroke, but veins to brain were letting in less blood and oxygen. No obvious signs of Alzheimer's yet. Mini strokes possible also.
Aricept was just in case. Her only side effect was strange, frightening dreams, which stopped when we stopped the Aricept. During her first year with us we saw more evidence of vascular dementia, not Alzheimer's, so discontinuing Aricept was an easy decision. Good luck with yours.

I think my dad was on Aricept and then later another added?namenda? my dad slowly went down hill for probably 10 years. I think once my parents noticed a difference in my dad they took him to dr and started meds. I guess he didn't have side effects. he had other medical issues also.
my dad slept ALOT. (he was never a lazy guy tho) but as the disease took over. he slept late in the morning. got up and then would fall asleep a lot during the day.

towards the end...last 3 years. sleep almost all day. up for meals.

so I don't know if meds like Aricept changes anything....(but perhaps it made him live longer idk)

my mom has ALZ too. probably late moderate. her geriatric dr did NOT prescribe mom anything after saying my mom probably had ALZ due to the slow progress of dementia. I'm ok with that. she did get a RX for anti-depressant due to paranoia and making up crazy stories.

That is kind of what I was thinking and worried about. She already gets terrible muscle spasms and aircept can cause those as well. She is incontinet so diarrhea would be awful.

Mom at early-to-mid stage was on Aricept for about a year. I couldn't discern any benefit. The side effects of diarrhea and severe dizziness were debilitating. I questioned her MD about the side effects being related to the Aricept, but the MD was very resistant, making referrals to other doctors for nonexistent circulatory issues, prescribing Meclizine for dizziness, etc. Ridiculous. Doctors love to prescribe as many drugs as possible, and as Mom's medical POA I had to demand the Aricept be discontinued. As soon as it was DC'd the diarrhea and dizziness began to go away. What a relief! That was just my Mom's experience, and everyone is different. It works for some people and may be worth a try, but I can't really recommend it.