donepezil medical facts from Drugs.com A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Donepezil improves the function of nerve cells in the brain. It works by preventing the breakdown of a chemical called acetylcholine (ah see til KO leen). People with dementia usually have lower levels of this chemical, which is important for the processes of memory, thinking, and reasoning.Donepezil has been shown to be effective in controlled clinical trials of the treatment of severe Alzheimer's disease at a dose of 10 mg administered once daily. Evidence from the controlled trials in mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease has indicated that the 10 mg dose, with a one week titration, is likely to be associated with a higher incidence of cholinergic adverse events than the 5 mg dose. In open label trials using a 6-week titration, the frequency of these same adverse events was similar between the 5 mg and 10 mg dose groups. Because steady state is not achieved for 15 days and because the incidence of side effects may be influenced by the rate of dose escalation, a dose of 10 mg should not be achieved until patients have been on a daily dose of 5 mg for 4 to 6 weeks.Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy.
