What is memantine?
Memantine is a chemical compound used in the pharmaceutical industry as an active ingredient, belonging to the line of drugs called anti-dementia or NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptor antagonists, with an effect on the brain . (1)
What is memantine used for?
- Thanks to its mechanism of action, memantine acts on NMDA receptors , improving the transmission of nerve signals and memory , managing to stabilize the cognitive functions of the brain .
- It is used to treat:
- Patients with degenerative dementia, such as moderate to severe Alzheimer’s disease. (two)
- Vascular/multi-infarct dementia.
Dosage and routes of administration of memantine
Memantine is supplied in packs of 5 mg, 10 mg, 15 mg, or 20 mg tablets containing memantine hydrochloride. The route of administration is oral and the dosage as a reference can be as follows:
- Adults: The dose of this type of medication is staggered every week, starting with a minimum dose of 5 mg per day and a progressive adjustment of 5 mg per week is made, until reaching a maximum of 20 mg per day. This adjustment must be monitored by a specialist doctor.
- Elderly over 65 years of age: For this patient population it is recommended to follow the above guidelines.
What products contain memantine?
Some of the medicines that contain memantine are:
- Axura®
- Ebixa®
- Detam®
- Neuroplus dual®
Axura®
- Axura® is a commercial drug in the form of a film-coated tablet containing 5 mg, 10 mg, 15 mg and 20 mg of memantine hydrochloride, equivalent to 4.15 mg, 8.31 mg, 12.46 mg and 16, 62 mg of memantine respectively.
- It is used in the treatment of patients with moderate to severe Alzheimer’s disease .
Ebixa®
- Ebixa® is a synthetic drug that uses memantine as its active ingredient, which comes in the form of 5 mg, 10 mg, 15 mg and 20 mg coated tablets.
- It is indicated for the treatment of moderate to severe Alzheimer ‘s.
Detam®
- detam® is a drug that contains memantine hydrochloride as an active ingredient, which has anti-dementia properties.
- It is used for the treatment of moderate to severe degenerative Alzheimer’s disease .
Neuroplus Dual®
- Neuroplus dual® uses the combination of memantine and donepezil , two active ingredients that have an effect on the central nervous system.
- It is used in the treatment of moderate to severe Alzheimer ‘s disease.
side effects of memantine
Data from clinical studies indicate that therapeutic treatment with memantine can cause some of the following adverse effects in a certain type of population:
- Possible adverse reactions due to patient contact with any component of the formula.
- Heart failure.
- Dizziness, seizures.
- Arterial hypertension, venous thrombosis/thromboembolism.
- Drowsiness, confusion, hallucinations and psychotic reactions.
- Dyspnea and fatigue.
Important: If any of these symptoms occur during treatment with memantine, please discontinue use and contact your doctor .
Contraindications and warnings of memantine
The use of memantine is contraindicated in the following cases:
- Hypersensitivity of the patient to any of the components of the drug.
- Patients with kidney failure.
- Patients using medications such as amantadine , ketamine, dextromethorphan, and other NMDA antagonists.
- Children under 18 years of age.
- During the pregnancy period.
- During breastfeeding .
To emphasize: Provide all the information regarding your health history to your doctor, before starting treatment with this drug.
Avoid it if you have:
- History of hypersensitivity to memantine hydrochloride.
- History of epileptic seizures (convulsions).
- Recent myocardial infarction .
- congestive heart disease
- Uncontrolled hypertension.
Warnings:
- Products such as memantine must be administered with a prescription or prescription.
- Do not mix this medicine with the consumption of drinks that contain alcohol.
- Treatment with this drug should be supervised by a specialist doctor, particularly in cases of high blood pressure, recent myocardial infarction, heart failure.
- Follow the doctor’s instructions and do not alter the indicated dose.
- Keep this product out of the reach of children.
University Professional in the area of Human Resources, Postgraduate in Occupational Health and Hygiene of the Work Environment, 14 years of experience in the area of health. Interested in topics of Psychology, Occupational Health, and General Medicine.