Donepezil: Uses, Characteristics And Effects Of This Drug
Due to the large number of symptoms and their gradual nature, neurodegenerative diseases are practically impossible to stop or cure. However, currently, there are drugs that make it possible to improve functions, giving the patient greater autonomy and, consequently, a higher quality of life.
This is the case of donepezil, a drug prescribed for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease which, despite not achieving remission of symptoms, favors the improvement of psychological functions such as memory, communication capacity and even mobility.
Donepezil, known commercially under the name Aricept is a drug belonging to the so-called cholinesterase inhibitors and administered for the palliative treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.
The main effects that this drug exerts on the patient with Alzheimer’s are related to the improvement of mental functions Its effects on patients’ cognition and behavior are notable, improving functions such as memory, attention, interaction with other people, speech and reasoning ability.
However, despite these improvements, donepezil does not slow down the progression of the disease nor can it be considered a cure for Alzheimer’s, but rather it is used as a palliative medication that improves the level of dependency and the quality of life of patients.
The research that led to the development of donepezil began in 1983, but it was not until 1996 when it received approval from the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA). After fourteen years, donepezil began to be marketed by the pharmaceutical company Pfizer and in 2011 became the best-selling treatment for Alzheimer’s disease in the world also being sold in generic format.
As discussed above, donepezil is administered in most cases for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. This condition causes progressive neuronal destruction or degeneration which affects both memory processes and the ability to reason, learn, speak or carry out a large number of daily activities.
In addition, this drug can also be administered for the treatment of certain types of dementia in which the abilities that enable memory, reasoning, communication, as well as emotional stability and personality are affected.
However, as specified above, there is still no evidence that donepezil alters the course or progression of Alzheimer’s disease. The administration of this medication is recommended in mild to moderate dementia, but in any case the person must be subjected to check-ups and continuous monitoring, as well as psychological therapy that accompanies the effects of the medication.
In any case, donepezil never cures Alzheimer’s, an irreversible neurodegenerative disease ; It has been designed to stop the advance of its effects. This implies that the course of the disease will continue forward, but the psychological wear and tear at a cognitive and emotional level could take longer to arrive.
What is your mecanism of action?
The active ingredient of donepezil binds and paralyzes the action of cholinesterases irreversibly, thus inhibiting the hydrolysis of acetylcholine. As a result, donepezil increases acetylcholine concentrations at cholinergic synapses. Which favors the correct functioning of neuronal transmissions.
Alzheimer’s disease involves a substantial loss of certain elements of the cholinergic system, so it is hypothesized that its symptoms are related to a deficit of acetylcholine, especially in the cerebral cortex and other areas of the brain such as the hippocampal formation. This loss of cholinergic neurons in the central nervous system generates cognitive impairment that causes symptoms related to attention, memory and learning.
Donepezil is administered in two different formats: oral tablets and mouth-soluble tablets, both to be consumed orally. The recommended dose is usually one tablet or tablet per day, preferably always consumed at the same time and at night just before going to bed. However, these are general recommendations, so The patient must always adhere to the instructions provided by the medical professional, which will adjust the treatment to each specific case. Therefore, in no case should the patient alter the indicated doses on their own and can only stop taking it under the supervision of the relevant doctor.
It may take a few weeks for donepezil to work. However, the patient must continue with its consumption. Otherwise, there is a possibility that a whole series of adverse effects may appear that harm the person’s state of health.
What are the side effects?
As with all drugs and medications, donepezil can cause a series of adverse effects which, depending on the degree of intensity in which they occur, can be really annoying for the patient.
Why do these side effects appear? The explanation is the same for every active ingredient used in a drug: these They are just molecules, not remote-controlled nanobots designed to act only in certain parts of some cells and not in others. On the contrary, these molecules interact with everything with which they can interact in a significant way, and some of these elements are outside the circuit that maintains and feeds the appearance of the symptoms to be treated with the drug.
These reactions typical of the treatment can be divided into those side effects that are not serious, so they do not always require medical attention, and those other more serious effects, in which it is necessary to go to the doctor’s office as soon as possible; in order to adjust the medication.
On the other hand, it must also be taken into account that Each person’s brain works differently, and that the active ingredient of any psychotropic drug can produce unexpected chain reactions due to this. Of course, in most cases the human body has the ability to “stop” these chain reactions even when they occur in a way that is harmful to the body; In others, you have to go to the doctor urgently.
1. Non-serious side effects
2. Serious side effects
These are the side effects that have to be detected and treated more quickly.
What precautions should be taken with its consumption?
The patient must inform his doctor of any special health condition you are in, including pregnancy, both before and during treatment. Additionally, donepezil should be administered cautiously in patients with heart disease, cardiac conduction disorders, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, asthma, severe cardiac arrhythmias, and sick sinus syndrome.
On the other hand, this medication can only be consumed under medical indication and supervision. In the same way, the doctor must be aware of any other treatment to which the patient is undergoing. This includes prescription and over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and natural herbal combinations.
Price
The price of donepezil, for a box of 30 10 milligram tablets, it is about 30 euros in Spain and 1,430 Mexican pesos in Mexico. In any case, its consumption should always be indicated by the doctor, due to its side effects.
