memantine
Pharmacy Author: |Emmanuel Saltiel,Pharm. D.|
Medical Editor: | Jay Marks, M.D.|
GENERIC NAME: memantine
BRAND NAME: Namenda
DRUG CLASS AND MECHANISM: Memantine is an oral medication for treating patients with |Alzheimer's disease|. Other medications used for Alzheimer's disease affect acetylcholine, one of the neurotransmitter chemicals that nerve cells in the brain use to communicate with one another. These drugs - |galantamine| (Razadyne - formerly known as Reminyl), donezepil (Aricept), |rivastigmine| (Exelon), and |tacrine| (Cognex)-- inhibit the enzyme acetylcholinesterase that destroys acetylcholine and thereby increases the effects of acetylcholine. Memantine's effects are independent of acetylcholine and acetylcholinesterase.
Glutamate is the main excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain. It is believed that too much stimulation of nerve cells by glutamate may be responsible for the degeneration of nerves that occurs in some neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. Like other neurotransmitters, glutamate is produced and released by nerve cells in the brain. The released glutamate then travels to nearby nerve cells where it attaches to a receptor on the surface of the cells called the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor. Memantine blocks the receptor and thereby decreases the effects of glutamate. It is thought that by blocking the NMDA receptor and the effects of glutamate, memantine may protect nerve cells from excess stimulation by glutamate. Memantine was approved by the FDA in October, 2003.
PRESCRIPTION: Yes.
GENERIC AVAILABLE: No.
PREPARATIONS: Tablets: 5 mg (tan) and 10 mg (gray).
STORAGE: Tablets should be stored at room temperature, 15-30°C (59-86°F).
PRESCRIBED FOR: Memantine is used for the treatment of moderate to severe dementia of the Alzheimer's type. |Dementia| can be categorized into three levels of severity. Mild: Patients are alert and sociable, but forgetfulness begins to interfere with daily living. Moderate: This is often the longest stage of the disease with deterioration of intellect, logic, behavior, and function. Severe: Loss of long-term memory and language skills. Patients may require 24-hour care and can no longer complete basic self-care tasks including washing, eating, and using the bathroom.
DOSING: The usual starting dose of memantine is 5 mg once daily. The dose usually is increased to 5 mg twice daily, then 5 mg and 10 mg as separate doses daily, and finally 10 mg twice daily. Memantine can be taken with or without food.
DRUG INTERACTIONS: Medicines that make the urine more alkaline (for example, carbonic anhydrase inhibitors such as acetazolamide (Diamox) and sodium bicarbonate would be expected to reduce the elimination of memantine by the kidneys and might increase the blood levels and the risk of side effects of memantine. Combining memantine with other NMDA receptor antagonists (for example, |amantadine| (Symmetrel), ketamine, and dextromethorphan) has not been evaluated and should be approached cautiously.
|PREGNANCY|: Memantine given in high doses to pregnant rats and rabbits did not affect the offspring. However, studies have not been conducted in pregnant women. Memantine should only be used during pregnancy if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the fetus.
NURSING MOTHERS: It is not known if memantine is excreted into |breast| milk.
SIDE EFFECTS: The most common side effect of memantine are fatigue, pain, increases in blood pressure, dizziness, |headache|, |constipation|, vomiting, back pain, confusion, somnolence, hallucination, coughing, and difficulty in breathing. The side effects are most often mild to moderate.
Reference: FDA Prescribing Information
M articles
ma-huang ephedra sp-oralmacular degeneration age-related type
mad cow disease
magnesium citrate-oral
magnesium salicylate-oral
magnesium salicylate-phenyltoloxamine-oral
magnesium sulfate-injection
malaria
malathion-topical
male breast cancer
male menopause
mammogram
mao inhibitors-oral
maprotiline-oral
marfan syndrome
marijuana
masoprocol-topical
massage therapy
masturbation
measles mumps rubella vaccine-injection
measles rubeola
mebendazole chewable-oral
mecamylamine-oral tablet
meclizine
meclofenamate
medroxyprogesterone
medroxyprogesterone-oral
mefenamic acid-oral
megestrol
melanoma
melanoma introduction
melanosis coli
melas syndrome
melioidosis
meloxicam
meloxicam-oral
melphalan-oral
memantine
memantine-oral
meniere disease
menopause
menopause and sex
mens health
menstrual cramps
menstrual cramps and pms medication guide
menstruation
mental illness
mental illness in children
meperidine-injection
meperidine-oral tablet
mephenytoin-oral
meralgia paresthetica
mercury poisoning
mesalamine
mesalamine lialda
mesothelioma
metabolic syndrome
metaproterenol-inhalation pre-mixed solution
metaproterenol-inhalation solution
metformin
metformin-oral
methacholine-inhalation
methadone concentrate-oral
methadone liquid-oral
methadone-dispersible tablet
methadone-injection
methadone-oral tablet
methamphetamine hydrochloride-oral
methimazole
methimazole-oral
methotrexate
methotrexate-injection
methotrexate-oral
methotrimeprazine-oral tablet liquid
methoxsalen-topical
methyl salicylate and menthol-topical
methyldopa wthiazide diuretics-oral
methyldopa-oral
methylphenidate
methylphenidate sustained-action osmotic-oral
methylphenidate sustained-action-oral
methylphenidate-oral
methylprednisolone
methylprednisolone-injection
methyltestosterone with estrogen-oral
metoclopramide
metoclopramide-oral
metolazone
metolazone-oral
metoprolol
metoprolol-oral
metronidazole
metronidazole gel
metronidazole-oral
mibefradil-oral
miconazole
miconazole-injection
microcephaly
microsporidiosis
midazolam-injection
midazolam-oral syrup
midodrine-oral
mifepristone-oral
miglitol
migraine headache
milk thistle silybum marianum-oral
milnacipran
minimally invasive lumbar spinal fusion
minocycline-injection
minocycline-oral
minoxidil
minoxidil-oral
mirtazapine
mirtazapine disintegrating tablets-oral
mirtazapine-oral
miscarriage
misoprostol
misoprostol-oral
mitochondrial disease
mitoxantrone-injection
mitral valve prolapse
mixed connective tissue disease
moclobemide-oral tablet
modafinil
modafinil-oral
moexipril-hydrochlorothiazide-oral
moexipril-oral
mohs surgery
mold exposure
molluscum contagiosum
mometasone
mometasone furoate
mometasone furoate-nasal spray
monkeypox
monobenzone-topical
montelukast
montelukast-oral
morphine extended-release capsules-oral
morphine high potency injection
morphine sustained action capsule-oral
motion sickness
mouth guards
moxifloxacin-oral
mri scan
mrsa infection
multiple myeloma
multiple sclerosis
multiple subpial transection
multivitamin-mineral-antioxidant-oral
multivitamins -oral
multivitamins chewable tablets
multivitamins includes prenatal vitamins-oral
multivitamins with iron includes prenatal vits
mumps
mupirocin
muscle cramps
muscle pain
muscle spasms
myasthenia gravis
mycobacterium marinum
mycophenolate mofetil-oral
myocardial biopsy
myocarditis
myopia
myxedema coma