Namenda

Namenda is a prescription medication used to treat Alzheimer's disease. Namenda is in a class of medications called NMDA receptor antagonists. It works by decreasing abnormal activity in the brain.

This medication comes in tablet and oral (by mouth) solution forms and is usually taken once or twice daily, with or without food. 

Common side effects of Namenda include tiredness, dizziness, headache, and confusion. Do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how Namenda affects you.

Namenda is a prescription medication used to treat the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

• The recommended starting dose of Namenda is 5 mg once daily. The recommended target dose is 20 mg/day. The dose should be increased in 5 mg increments to 10 mg/day (5 mg twice a day), 15 mg/day (5 mg and 10 mg as separate doses), and 20 mg/day (10mg twice a day).

You should not take Namenda if you are allergic to any of its ingredients. Tell your doctor if you are allergic to Namenda or any other medicines.

Namenda can make you drowsy. Do not drive a car or operate machinery until you know how this medicine affects you.

Poor liver or kidney function can lead to an increase in the level of Namenda in the body. This may increase your risk of side effects. Tell your doctor if you have liver or kidney disease.

Namenda may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

• extreme tiredness 
• dizziness 
• confusion 
• headache 
• sleepiness 
• constipation 
• vomiting 
• pain anywhere in your body, especially your back 
• coughing

Some side effects can be serious. The following symptoms are uncommon, but if you experience any of them, call your doctor immediately: 

• shortness of breath 
• hallucination (seeing things or hearing voices that do not exist)

Namenda may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while taking this medication.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your doctor if you take:

• acetazolamide (Diamox);
• amantadine (Symmetrel);
• brinzolamide (Azopt);
• cimetidine (Tagamet);
• dextromethorphan (Robitussin, others);
• dichlorphenamide (Daranide);
• dorzolamide (Trusopt);
• methazolamide (GlaucTabs, Nepatazane);
• nicotine (Nicoderm, Nicorette, others);
• potassium citrate and citric acid (Cytra-K, Polycitra-K);
• ranitidine (Zantac);
• sodium bicarbonate (Soda Mint, baking soda);
• sodium citrate and citric acid (Bicitra, Oracit);
• and quinidine (Quinaglute, Quinidex)

This is not a complete list of Namenda drug interactions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

The FDA categorizes medications based on safety for use during pregnancy. Five categories - A, B, C, D, and X, are used to classify the possible risks to an unborn baby when a medication is taken during pregnancy.

Namenda falls into category B. There are no well-done studies that have been done in humans with Namenda. But in animal studies, pregnant animals were given this medication, and the babies did not show any medical issues related to this medication.

It is not known if Namenda crosses into human milk. Because many medications can cross into human milk and because of the possibility for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants with use of this medication, a choice should be made whether to stop nursing or stop the use of this medication. Your doctor and you will decide if the benefits outweigh the risk of using Namenda.

Your doctor will probably start you on a low dose of memantine and gradually increase your dose, not more than once every week.

Tell your doctor if you use tobacco products. Cigarette smoking may decrease the effectiveness of this medication.