News for the caregivers/patients of Alzheimer's Disease

Namenda (Memantine) is was approved in October 2003 by the FDA. It is the first Alzheimer drug of this type approved in the United States. Memantine is classified as a N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist. It is called a glutaminergic agent.
Uses for Namenda
*Namenda is a drug treatment approved for moderate to severe Alzheimer’s disease.
*In those who respond to the drug, improvement is seen in cognitive and behavioral functions and in day to day living skills.
*Improvement, if it does occur, may be very small indeed
*The drug does not cure Alzheimer's disease
*It does not protect brain cells from further damage.
*There is no evidence that Namenda works long term.
*Improvements, if any, should be seen within a few weeks
How Namenda Works
Put in simple terms this drug seems to acts on another neurotransmitter (a transmitter of nerve messages) called glutamate. The drug shields the brain from overexposure to glutamate. Glutamate contributes to the death of brain cells in people with Alzheimer’s and Namenda has been shown to protect the neurons from its toxic effects.
What is Glutamate?
When researchers look at the brains of people with Alzheimer's they find that there is extensive loss of the NMDA receptor sites. Glutamate is a messenger chemical (a neurotransmitter) that is involved in storage, retrieval and processing of information. Glutamate triggers NMDA receptors that control the amount of calcium that passes into a nerve cell. It is this that allows information to be stored. When there is too much glutamate, too much calcium moves into the cell and memory functions are adversly affected.
Dosage
Namenda is produced by Merz and co., Germany. The recommended dosage starts at 5mg once a day. The dose is gradually increased to 10mgs twice a day. (Total dose 20mgs)
Side Effects
Most common side effects of this drug are dizziness, confusion, constipation, headaches and skin rash.
Less common side effects are fatigue, back pain, high blood pressure, insomnia, hallucinations, vomiting and shortness of breath.
There are no serious reported side effects.
Drug Interactions Interaction with amantadine, dextromethorphan and ketamine. May interfere with drug levels of diaretics, ulcer drugs and quinidine.
Medical Supervision
It is important that drugs to treat Alzheimer's are prescribed by specialists in dementia. The effectiveness needs to be regularly assessed, it is suggested, every 3 months. The drug can be used long term. It can be discontinued if there is no response
Cost Costs vary depending on the source of the drug.
The maker of this drug provides further information at www.namenda.com or by calling 1.877.2-NAMENDA (1.877.262.6363).

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