Currently, there''s no cure for Alzheimer''s disease. Doctors sometimes
prescribe drugs to improve symptoms that often
accompany Alzheimer''s, including
sleeplessness, wandering, anxiety, agitation and depression. But only two
varieties of medications have been proved to slow the cognitive decline
associated with Alzheimer''s.
Cholinesterase inhibitors: This
group of medications — which includes
donepezil , rivastigmine and galantamine — works by improving the levels of neurotransmitters
in the brain. Donepezil has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration
for the treatment of mild, moderate and severe Alzheimer''s disease. Donepezil
also appears to delay the onset of Alzheimer''s for about a year in people who
have mild cognitive impairment (MCI). People who have MCI have more memory
problems than other people their age, but they are not demented. Cholinesterase
inhibitors don''t work for everyone. As many as half the people who take these
drugs show no improvement. Other people may choose to stop taking the drugs
because of the side effects, which include diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. Memantine
The first drug approved to treat moderate to severe stages of
Alzheimer''s, memantine , protects brain cells from damage caused by the
chemical messenger glutamate. It sometimes is used in combination with a
cholinesterase inhibitor. Memantine''s most common side effect is dizziness,
although it also appears to increase agitation and delusional behavior in some
people.