ARICEPT Reviews (DONEPEZIL HYDROCHLORIDE)Average Rating: 1.7 (210 Ratings)Filter ResultsCompare ARICEPT with similar:
Type: Rx Drug
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Results are sorted by Date added. Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.) |
More on ARICEPT: Reviews Summary | Drug Safety Information
| RATING | REASON | SIDE EFFECTS FOR ARICEPT | COMMENTS | SEX | AGE | DURATION/ DOSAGE | DATE ADDED |
| 3 | Early Onset Dementia | My dreams are very vivid. I noticed that I became more anxious and somewhat depressed. | I did notice a change in my memory but I don't like the other side effects. Instead of taking it everyday as precribed I take every other day, and if I miss taking it, I won't sweat it. | F | 57 | 2 years 5 1X day | 8/14/2016 | 4 | Tardive Dyskinesia | Bad dizziness, nausea, difficulty sleeping, loss of appetite, slight loss of taste, moderate tiredness, depression | It has begun to take away the TD, and I have not been on it for very long, so I'm hoping these side effects go away with time. | F | 18 | 1 weeks 10mg | 7/31/2016 | 1 | Mild memory impairment | No change noted related to memory. Decreased appetite, loss of taste, sleeping frequently, itchy over entire body, no energy, weight loss. Dr. checked labs and liver enzymes were in the 300's, worsening of kidney function on labs, slight anemia. All labs were within normal range before taking Aricept. | M | 74 | 3 months 10 mg 1X day | 6/26/2016 | 1 | my husband | when increasing from 5 mg to 10 mg - terrible results - confusion, sleepiness, increased dementia | M | 73 | 10mg 1X day | 6/2/2016 | 3 | Alzheimer's (mother not me) | No side effects from 5mg dose and noticeable improvement in cognitive ability. At 10mg almost instant terrible dreams for mum and constant tearfulness during day too. She has always been prone to have nightmares which left her distressed for days afterwards but it was a few times a year not twice a night! | Mum is going to stop taking it. We will consult with her clinic as to other drugs or maybe return to a lower dose of Aricept. Coconut oil has had no effect after consistent use for 6 months at high doses. I can't see any other options. Pity about Aricept as it did really work. | 79 | 2 months 5mg, 10mg | 5/29/2016 | 1 | The person who made comment number 4 must have close ties to the pharmaceutical companies or is just too out of it to be taking care of anyone. Did you not read that the patients' condition worsened extremely while on the drug and then improved when off the drug? How's that "worth a try"? You know what works for many? Coconut oil Two tablespoons per day and has many other health benefits including maintaining healthy cholesterol levels. You can easily research it and that's worth a try. I know folks who took Aracept and it was a nightmare. | 1 days | 3/13/2016 | 1 | dementia | Extreme confusion, not sleeping at night, sleeping into the afternoon, refusal to get up in the morning, not eating, very repetitive, worsened memory problems. | My mother was prescribed 5 mg of donepezil which is generic aricept 7 or 9 years ago. She was fine on it, driving and functioning normally but forgetful. Last month she was complaining of being dizzy and tired which are both side effects but I thought she should see a doctor. Her doctor did a quick memory test which she failed so he increased her dosage to 10mg After a couple of weeks she began acting strangely and her behavior began to get worse. She wasn't sleeping at night or getting herself up in the morning. She started to forget who I am at times and where she is and how she got here. I had a feeling it might be side effects so I asked the doctor if we can decrease her dosage to 5 mg and he said yes. The following day she got herself up for the first time in weeks. She had some confusion during the day but nothing compared to what she was like on 10 mg. She saw the doctor yesterday and he took her completely off of it. She still experiences some confusion but she recognizes that it is confusion and it passes. I am able to leave her alone in the other room for the first time in weeks. I hope to see more positive changes as her body adjusts to not being on this drug. These past two weeks have been a nightmare. I finally feel like I have my mother back with me. | F | 75 | 1 months 10 mg 1X day | 2/23/2016 | 1 | Vascular dementia | My husband was prescribed this drug by his neurologist. He has been diagnosed with moderate cognitive issues and memory problems as a result of vascular dementia. After taking this drug for less than 2 weeks his memory, confusion, frustration level significantly worsened. He had just about stopped swearing at the smallest of problems, but started doing that again more than ever when frustrated. He was sleeping most of the day, no interest in anything; appetite issues; had numerous issues handling tasks he could do previously. Couldn't remember things he knew the previous week. Definite negative change in personality. Since discontinuing the drug, he has gone back to the previous state he was in. | M | 76 | 10 days 5 mg 1X day | 2/8/2016 | 1 | Grandmother, Dementia | Extreme change in mood and behavior, worsening symptoms of Dementia, restless insomnia, hallucinations, weakness, fatigue | This drug is not for everyone. As caregivers for my 88 year old grandmother with Dementia, the past 2 months have been an absolute nightmare for my mother and I. Grandmother was initially on 5mg/day and two weeks ago the dosage was increased to 10 mg/day. Within a week of taking 5mg/day, she began exhibiting a sharp mental and emotional decline. Within 3 days of switching to 10mg daily, my grandmother's Dementia started to become much, much worse and only worsened over time (she has been on 10mg for 2 weeks). Examples: Swearing (which she has never, ever done in my lifetime), combativeness, refusing vital meds, hallucinations (sounds, events, visual), crying, anger, mood swings, physical hostility, extreme fluctuations in body temperature, extreme insomnia (averaging 3 hours each night), roaming the house all night & talking incoherently as she walks, agitation, excessive rapid talking (for hours at a time to imaginary people), speaking incoherently and forgetting who family members are. I cannot understate how hellish this has been for all of us. We are reducing her dosage back to 5mg daily and then we will be taking her OFF OF THIS MEDICATION. Her symptoms and behavior were nothing like this before she began taking Aricept. The timing of her decline correlates to when she began taking the Aricept and the subsequent increase in dosage. | F | 88 | 2 months 5mg 2X day | 1/4/2016 | 1 | Mild Cognitive Impairment | Personality change, weight loss, depression, anger. Mother lost 16 pounds (started at 114 - very small to begin with) - had no appetite and became angry, depressed - completely changed. Shame on Pfizer. Terrible drug - read all the bad reviews online before taking this poison. | F | 79 | 3 months 10mg 1X day | 12/17/2015 | 4 | Alzheimers | No side effects. No improvement in memory - but no worse. | Has anyone thought that it might be the patients dementia and not the aricept causing the dreams/behaviour. My dad's sister wasn't on medication and had bad nightmares/not sleeping/wandering/bad behaviour on and off for years with her dementia. Dad has had no problems so far! Aricept might not be for everyone - but it is worth trying! | M | 80 | 4 months 5mg | 12/4/2015 | 3 | hault memory loss restore reasonin | slight insomnia, rare upset stomach, | Can't tell a very big difference, but friends/family say they have. Not startling, but subtle. | M | 78 | 1 months 30mg | 11/5/2015 | 1 | mild cognitive impairment | Serious Fatigue, weakness, dizziness,hand tremors, lack of sleep, night terrors. | Is not safe.... terrible drug... | F | 50 | 4 months 10 | 9/13/2015 | 2 | memory loss | Nausea & AbdominalPain, | F | 79 | 1 months | 7/30/2015 | 5 | Mixed dementia, vascular for sure | Fullness in neck/throat, slight ringing or buzzing in ears first 4 or so days. Only diarrhea on second day. | Each morning when I wake up I feel great, aware, and alert, with fresh ideas. Actually interested in sex again after maybe months of not caring. I can plan projects. After a couple of weeks of frustration of not being able to figure out what goes into my coffee (not aspirin, not vitamins, etc., ) once on Aricept I know how to make my morning cup of coffee again! | F | 62 | 7 days 5 mg 1X day | 7/6/2015 | 1 | Alzheimer's | HORRIBLE NIGHTMARES. | This has to be the worst drug experience I've ever had, & that's saying a lot. I've just woken up from the final dosage I'll ever take, soaked in sweat, & having to yell out loud to break away from sleep paralysis. Bad dreams started from the first time I took the drug. It was immediately apparent that the Aricept was the problem, because the dreams were so awful & vivid--I could remember every single thing, & that has gotten less common as I've gotten older; only after I took the Aricept did my bad dreams start. (I am 63.) I really tried to give the drug a chance, but am TOO THROUGH. I just woke up from dreaming, for the second time since I took the drug, that a man was trying to rape me. I could feel his hot breath & the heat coming from his body. I don't dream things like this or watch horror movies. This morning I was able to finally wrench myself from the paralysis, & the almost total blindness that was in my dream was gone too. I had kept trying to move my hand to get what was impeding my vision to LEAVE, but I could only see what was in the middle of my field of vision, & there was a jagged blackness all around that, & I was unable to move my hand for what seemed like forever. Every night since I went on Aricept I have had varying degrees of nightmares, but wanted to give the medication a chance. NO MORE. I don't think I have Alzheimer's AT ALL. I think I have been drugged into all of the symptoms. I am gradually stopping ALL psychotr | F | 63 | 10 mg. 1X day | 6/27/2015 | 1 | short term memory loss | lack of appetite,dizzy,loss of energy,appetite | 2 weeks 5 1X day | 6/20/2015 | 5 | memory loss,confusion,indifference | During first 4 months especially after dosage increase - horror scary dreams, almost no sleep, nausea coming on suddenly, diarrhea off and on, vomit feeling for hours, long intense muscle cramps of entire limb mostly legs, instant onset fatigue and mild anorexia | After about 4 months the side effects became minimal, however my mental ability was restored to the level of when I was in my 40's, intelligence level became frightening high. Prior to taking donepezil I had only driven a car twice in the previous two months for fear of getting confused and lost, now I drive long distances, this is truly a miracle drug. My results may be better than most, but in spite of the side effects, it gives a quality of life that makes you want to live for tomorrow. | M | 69 | 6 months 20mg 1X day | 6/13/2015 | 1 | Early onset Alzhiemers | Dad started on 5mg and seemed ok but when dosage was increased to 10mg.the first symptoms were constant nose running,dry skin on forehead and very dark urine..We informed the doctors but were told it may settle down...Things got much worse with nausea and bouts of sickness,burping and belching after every meal,very bad dreams and waking in the night,urinary incontinence,blocked bowels,very withdrawn and "vacant" personality,Tearful,Agitated and nervous sometimes but could also be very sleepy during the day.. | In hindsight we wished that dad had never been prescribed this drug as it failed to improve anything about his condition and only brought a large amount of stress and misery to his life. After 3 months we stopped the drug without informing the doctor as we knew that it was the Aricept causing all the unwanted side effects as dads health had been excellent up until this point..We also stopped the statins which dad had been on for years as we found out that they can cause memory issues..Dad had no history of heart problems & there was no reason why he should take them....We also found out that Aricept over-stimulates the para sympathetic side of the nervous system which affects the glands and excretions of the body hence the eye-watering,the runny-nose,stomach excretions,incontinence etc....After 6 or 7 weeks of stopping Aricept luckily the symptoms finaly went away and now dad is much happier and relaxed...I would warn anyone who is going to take this drug to think very carefully indeed as it is incredible how it can change people for the worst! | 77 | 90 days 10mg 1X day | 5/11/2015 | 4 | mild memory problems, TIAs | Headaches, fatigue, vivid dreams. I think the memory is better, seems sharper, though I still do strange things occasionally, like coming to work an hour early this morning. Get really tired as the day goes on and cannot seem to stay awake beyond 8 pm. Do sleep really good, and the dreams are not as strange as they were the 1st week or two. Note: my mother had AD, probably was early-onset. | F | 59 | 2 days 5 mg | 5/7/2015 |