Donepezil

What is donepezil?

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 is used to treat mild to moderate dementia caused by Alzheimer’s disease.

Donepezil may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

Precautions

Do not take this medication if you are allergic to donepezil.

Before taking donepezil, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have:

a heart rhythm disorder such as "sick sinus syndrome" (slow heartbeats);
a history of stomach ulcers;
an enlarged prostate or urination problems;
epilepsy or other seizure disorder; or
asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

If you have any of these conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely take donepezil.

FDA pregnancy category C. This medication may be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment.

It is not known whether donepezil passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

Donepezil can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.

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Instructions

Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine.

Overdose symptoms may include severe nausea, vomiting, drooling, sweating, blurred vision, feeling light-headed, slow heartbeat, shallow breathing, muscle weakness, fainting, or seizure (convulsions).

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take the medicine at the next regularly scheduled time. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

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Side Effects

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Stop using donepezil and call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

black, bloody, or tarry stools;
coughing up blood or vomit that looks like blood or coffee grounds;
painful or difficult urination;
seizure (black-out or convulsions);

Less serious side effects may include:

nausea, vomiting, diarrhea;
loss of appetite;
muscle cramps;
tired feeling; or
sleep problems (insomnia).

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Tell your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

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Interactions

Before taking donepezil, tell your doctor if you are taking any of the following medicines:

atropine (Donnatal, and others);
belladonna;
carbamazepine (Tegretol);
clidinium (Quarzan);
dexamethasone (Decadron);
dicyclomine (Bentyl);
glycopyrrolate (Robinul);
hyoscyamine (Anaspaz, Cystospaz, Levsin, and others);
mepenzolate (Cantil);
methantheline (Provocholine);
methscopolamine (Pamine), scopolamine (Transderm-Scop);
phenobarbital (Luminal, Solfoton);
phenytoin (Dilantin);
propantheline (Pro-Banthine);
quinidine (Cardioquin, Quinidex, Quinaglute, others);
rifampin (Rifadin, Rifamate, Rifater);
a fungal antibiotic such as ketoconazole (Nizoral), fluconazole (Diflucan), or itraconazole (Sporanox); or
aspirin or other NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn), diclofenac (Voltaren), diflunisal (Dolobid), etodolac (Lodine), flurbiprofen (Ansaid), indomethacin (Indocin), ketoprofen (Orudis), ketorolac (Toradol), mefenamic acid (Ponstel), meloxicam (Mobic), nabumetone (Relafen), piroxicam (Feldene), and others.

This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with donepezil. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.

Other Names

Aricept, Aricept ODT, and donepezil

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Disclaimer

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. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.