Aricept (donepezil) Coupons and Discounts
Aricept (donepezil) is a selective inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase. One way to save money on the Aricept (donepezil) retail cost regardless of income and insurance status is to use Aricept (donepezil) coupons or discount cards from RXCoupons. Use our Aricept (donepezil) coupons at your online pharmacy and receive up to 75% off the sale price each time you refill your prescription.
What is the pharmacological effect of Aricept (donepezil)?
Aricept (donepezil) is a selective inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase. It is used for the treatment of severe disease like dementia. The active ingredient of Aricept is Donepezil Hydrochloride. Aricept slows the progression of Alzheimer's disease and reduces the severity of cognitive symptoms. The drug helps correct behavioral abnormalities, reduce apathy and hallucinations.
The drug should be stored of the reach of children, at a temperature of not more than 30° C.
What are the indications for Aricept (donepezil)?
The drug is indicated for use as a symptomatic treatment of dementia (Alzheimer's disease of mild or moderate severity).
What are the contraindications for Aricept (donepezil)?
Aricept contraindications include sensitivity to Donepezil Hydrochloride or other ingredients of Aricept.
Aricept should be used with caution in patients suffering from obstructive lung diseases (such as asthma, COPD), cardiac arrhythmias, during pregnancy and lactation, as well as in case of increased risk of developing peptic ulcers.
It is necessary to exercise extreme caution when using Aricept in patients with increased risk of ulcer development (for example, in patients with peptic ulcer or in patients receiving therapy with NSAIDs). Cholinomimetic agents may enhance the secretion of acid in the stomach. It is believed that they can also cause generalized seizures. However, seizures may be misdiagnosed as symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.
It is contraindicated to simultaneously use Aricept with acetylcholinesterase inhibitors and cholinergic agonists. Patients should take into account that there may be more unknown interactions with other drugs.
Aricept is not recommended for use in children.
What is the dosage regimen for Aricept (donepezil)?
The initial dose for adults is of 5 mg once a day, in the evening, before bedtime. Treatment should be continued for at least one month in order to achieve the desired concentration of Donepezil. After 30 days the drug dose may be increased to 10 mg per day. Such dosage is generally considered safe and effective.
If the patient has problems with kidneys and liver, he should not reduce or correct the dosage of the drug.
What happens to your body in case of Aricept (donepezil) overdose?
In case of overdose patients may suffer from nausea, vomiting, salivation and sweating, muscle weakness and bradycardia, spasms and respiratory depression.
What are the side effects of Aricept (donepezil)?
Digestive system: nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, hepatitis, gastric ulcer, bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract.
Nervous system: cramps, fatigue and insomnia, headache, dizziness, seizures, hallucinations, anxiety, aggressive behavior.
Cardio-vascular system: syncope and bradycardia.
Other side effects may include fever symptoms, pain occurring in different locations.
Aricept may cause muscle weakness (myasthenia gravis), which can even lead to death (respiratory muscle paralysis symptom).
Special instructions for Aricept (donepezil)
Aricept therapy can be started only if there is a person, who will constantly monitor the patient receiving the drug. Treatment could only be carried out by a doctor who has accumulated rich experience in treating dementia.
It is worth to know that Aricept may cause fatigue, dizziness and muscle cramps at the beginning of treatment or when increasing the dosage.
If Aricept is no longer effective, the therapy should be discontinued.