Combining Alzheimer's drugs helps, study says
Drugs to treat Alzheimer's disease have shown only modest success in easing symptoms of the incurable illness that robs people of their memory and makes them unable to lead normal lives. But a new study from Boston researchers offers a glimmer of hope that combining two kinds of drugs may help delay progression of the symptoms.
Researchers at the Massachusetts General Hospital Memory Disorders Unit report in the journal Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders that combining two types of Alzheimer's drugs works better than giving none or one of the drugs alone to slow cognitive and functional decline. Previous clinical trials have compared the drugs with placebos in short studies of safety and effectiveness, but the MGH group says theirs is the first to look longer-term at patients in a real-world clinical setting. Their study was funded by the National Institute on Aging and the Massachusetts Alzehimer's Disease Research Center.
Led by Dr. Alireza Atri, the researchers analyzed the records of 382 patients who were treated at the Boston clinic from 1990 to 2005. The earliest group of 144 patients did not receive any medication, the second group got a cholinesterase inhibitor approved by the Food and Drug Administration in the mid-1990s, and the third group took that drug plus memantine, a drug approved in 2003 that helps patients think more clearly. The patients were followed for an average of two and a half years and given tests to measure both their cognitive abilities and their capacity to carry out the activities of daily living.
People who took the combination of drugs showed a significantly smaller rate of decline than those who were taking only a cholinesterase inhibitor or no drug. Memantine was not studied alone because by the time it was available, cholinesterase inhibitors were widely used. The researchers accounted for differences among the groups, such as how early in the disease they were diagnosed and whether they had other illnesses, but the differences in how they scored on tests of cognition and function still held true.
The results raise the intriguing possibility that the drugs may be protecting the patients' brains from further deterioration, the authors said.
"Finding something that could actually modify the course of the disease is the Holy Grail of Alzheimer’s treatment, but we really don’t know if that is happening or what the mechanism behind these effects might be," Atri said in a statement. "What we can say now is that providers should help patients understand that the benefits of these drugs are long term and may not be apparent in the first months of treatment. Even if a patient’s symptoms get worse, that doesn’t mean the drug isn’t working, since the decline probably would have been much greater without therapy."
well what if there in 2nd stage of Alzheimer's?
I am a 72 year old male, and I was diagonised as Dementia 2 years go. I currently
Nemanda, and Aricept, I am under the care of a neurologist.
Memeron combines the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor Galantamine with Alpha GPC which increases human growth hormone secretion to help build new neurons.
I think we are going to see many more combination therapies for AD in the future.
My husband was diagnosed 3 years ago at the age of 58. He is on namenda and exelon
My wife had been diagnosed with Alxheimers, and was on Aracept for almost a year when I learned of Aura( Namenda) We were able to get the medication from Germany before it was marketed in the U.S., and she has been on both medications since Dec. 2003. The results have been fantastic. The Aricle of September 22 2008 reporting from the Mass. General Hospital Memory Disorder Unit has served to reinforce my Conviction. Talk to your Doctor and ask for both medications.
Harold October 1, 2008
I was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease in Jan 2006. My neurologist started me on Exelon and a few months later, added Namenda. In my yearly tests I have shown very little decline in my cognitive abilities. I believe that these two medications have significantly slowed the progression of the disease.
My husband was diagnosed with Alzheimers 3 years ago he sees a phychitrist and is taking Namenda and Razdyne and Citalopram for depression. He seems to be slowly losing his short term memory and remembers very little of the past. He is 83 years old.
My wife is on Aricept, Seroquel, and Sertraline (Zoloft).She was on Namenda but was taken off.
I am 62 and presently taking 5 mg of Namenda 3x/day
10 mg of Aricept 1/day - morning
10 mg Lexapro 1/day - morning
40 mg Lipitor at night for cholestoral
1 baby aspirin for circulation
All patients and caregivers should also investigate adding Enbrel injections to their treatment for Alzheimer's. It has proven very successful for many patients in this off label use of the drug. For information, Google Enbrel for Alzheimer's and do the research.
My mom was diagnosed with early stages of dementia on 6/16/07. 15 days later my dad, her spouse of over fifty years passed away suddenly. She is not only on anti depression meds, she is diabetic,takes meds for high blood preasure and colesterol. She also takes vicodin for severe pain for her arthrtic kness. She was on aricept but I didn't notice any change in her memory. She was taken off aricept and put on namenda. That seemed to help. Would the combination of bot help because now she seems to be going downhill again?
Hello, I was diagnoised with Alzh in May of 2007. I am currently taking Namenda 10 mg & Exelon 4.5 mg twice a day. My memory has improved so much! I also take Folte , Omega 3 , Vit C&E. and Cinnamon Capsules. My husband was just diagnoised with Alzheimers in Sept 2008. He has started on Namenda. Needless to say its double trouble for us! These site are great and really give good information and hope for a break through. Thanks ,, MaryGrace
My wife is 66 years old. She was diagnosed with Alzheimer 6 years ago. she takes Nemenda 2 time a day (morning and evenings) plus Aricept 10 mg. once before bed time. Despite this regiment she seems to be losing ground...
What would you recomend to ameliorate the condition?
My mother has been taken aricept and namenda for some years now and her decline has been low,I also give her 200 mgrs.of ibuprofen combined with two tablets of curcumin every night and it has helped a lot.
My mom was on Aricept and Namenda for several months, she progressed slowly but she became very depressed and saw things that weren't there and had what I thought may have been bad dreams but she said they were not dreams. She was becoming somewhat frightened. I read up on these, called my her Dr. and he said these could possibly side effects from these drugs. Now she takes only Zoloft for her dimentia. She is beginning to decline more rapidly. I do not know at this time how to help her.
My dad 89 years, diagnosed at 2oo6 as AD. He's on Exelon and Namenda the injetion of Cerebrolysin course every 4 mothes made his condition nearly stable the decline is so slow . He is such a lovely dad kissing me and my sons and expressing great pleasure on seeing my 3 monthes grandsun kissing the baby with a sweet smile . May God preserve him to his loving family. Cure dream is the hope. may be one day who knows???????
My Mom was diagnosed with Alz. in 2006, and has declined since my Dad passed away suddenly in Oct. 2006. She is on Vitamins, Folic Acid, Namenda and Excelon patch, and Citalopram prom at night. Someday's she seems almost normal, but there are days when its awful. I know this is a terrible illness and I pray everyday that they find a cure. Do you know of anything else to do?
I was told I had Alzheimers about 9 months ago. Started taking Aricept, one pill at night, but soon began to have hot flashes (which was unusual for me). My doctor said to discontinue the Aricept, and take Namenda which I have been taking since then. So far, I have had very little forgetfulness and the medicine seems to agree with me. Miriam Heine October 4, 11:00 p.m.
I always enjoy your blog.
I always enjoy your blog.
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