The side affects have gone down considerably thought I'm taking 5mg for the time being.
I have to take a steroid nasal spray because otherwise I can't breathe at night. But I have found that recently I can go a couple of days between sprays so long as I have not encountered whatever particulate that will cause it to be inflamed. The other night there was some people smoking around me which appears to be the worst.
I'm not sure but I think the Aricept side effects are a little more pronounced when I take the nasal spray. I have been getting very little recently but when I used the spray the other day I did get some shocks.
My doctor says I should drink water reasonably, which I do anyway. I also happen to sleep in a very contorted way which may be an ASD/sensory thing as weighted blankets and training cats to sleep on top are not that uncommon. With me I tend to be fairly contorted with limbs, sometimes sleep on top of my arm and cross my legs. I get better quality sleep this way. It hasn't affected me negatively throughout the years as far as I've noticed. It could cause loss of circulation, 'dead arms' but since I have been exercising and eating well I don't really get that anymore.
*Huperzine A* - I have some. This is an amazing drug that they are using in China as their drug of choice. It is derived from a Chinese club moss plant. Harvard University and Chinese universities have done research that has shown that it can improve cognitive impairment and may be a bit safer. I'm not taking it currently as it has the same mechanism of action as Aricept (acetylcholinesterase inhibitor). It is also said to have neuroprotective effects and crosses the blood brain barrier more readily than other drugs. However each of the drugs Donepezil, Memantine, Huperzine A seem to affect (or at least the research shows more improvement) in different cognitive function such as spatial memory, language etc. So I need to get the right one. I have 200mcg tablets but am told they can be strong to start out with so I can cut them in half. What is good about Huperzine A is it is considerably cheaper than the alternatives. Because of an ironically named *ahem* political *ahem* organisation NICE (National Institute for Clinical Excellence) refuse to recommend Aricept and many of these drugs as cost effective I end up paying £100 private prescription for a measly 28 pills. Whereas I can get Huperzine A for effectively the cost of an NHS prescription which is less than £10 and at 120 tablets.
I want to give the Aricept a decent trial. Right now I whatever positive effects I am getting are quite subtle so I can't be sure. How long should I try for to see if it has at least some effectiveness? There doesn't seem to be agreement. The guy that prescribes me says it seems not to take too long with other patients if it worksand the improvement should be marked or not there. He had mixed results. Another guy says it might take a bit longer for some people. I need to know this so I can assess the Aricept. Even if the Aricept works I still want to try the Huperzine A for comparison. If the two drugs offer me some cognitive improvement in areas which I'm deficient is it ever possible to take Aricept and Huperzine A at the same time? I know you can take Memantine an Aricept at the same time.
Hi.
Some side effects can occur within hours of consumption. And that's why many patients discontonue the drug, and miss out on a chance to benefit from it.
Regarding the longest period recorded, I can tell you that I have seen some MCI (Mild Cognitive Impairement) patients take the drug for almost 10 years without much problem.
Regards
DrAbhijeetMD
Thank you DrAbhijeetMD.
That is good to know. Presumably the some of the side affects are stronger soon after taking? Or are they related to sleeping?
What is the longest period recorded patients have been on Aricept for mild or moderate cognitive problems?
Hi.
The time of consumption actually does not affect the absorption of Aricept.
Most of the side effects are seen with 10mg dose. However, if continued for 6 weeks, the frequency of side effects decreases by almost half.
The prognosis is generally good, with long term treatment.
Regards
DrAbhijeetMD
I forgot to mention some other symptoms I had on 10mg where pulsating all down my back and twitching tendons. This is not like the locational spasms I've had as those are more localised.