• Tacrine
  advertised as Cognex®
  
  
• Donepezil
  advertised as Aricept®
  
  
• Rivastigmine
  advertised as Exelon®
  
  

Tacrine

U.S. Brand Names: Cognex®

Use: Used to treat the symptoms of Alzheimer's or dementia.

Warnings/Precautions: Use with caution if you have asthma or any other lung disease, difficulty passing urine, a head injury, heart disease, slow heartbeat, jaundice, liver disease, low blood pressure, Parkinson's disease, seizures (convulsions), severe headaches, stomach or intestinal disease, ulcers or stomach bleeding, a past reaction to tacrine or its components, or if you are pregnant or nursing. While using tacrine try to avoid caffeine and smoking.

Contraindications: Avoid alcohol since it may increase the risk of liver damage.

Side Effects: Side effects include changes in vision or balance, dark yellow or brown urine, diarrhea, dizziness, fainting spells or falls, increase in frequency of passing urine or incontinence, muscle pains, nervousness, agitation or increased confusion, pain in the stomach or abdomen, skin rash or hives, slow heartbeat or palpitations, sweating, uncontrollable movements, vomiting, yellowing of eyes or skin, dry mouth, indigestion, loss of appetite, and nausea.

Donepezil

U.S. Brand Names: Aricept®

Use: Used to treat the symptoms of mild to moderate dementia of the Alzheimer's type.

Contraindications: Do not use if you have a known hypersensitivity to donepezil hydrochloride or piperidine derivatives.

Warnings/Precautions: This drug may cause complications during anesthesia. Patients with cardiovascular conditions, especially those with "sick sinus syndrome" or other supraventricular cardiac conduction conditions, may develop vagotonic effects on heart rate (bardycardia) with the use of this drug. Syncopal episodes have also been reported in association with Apricet®. Apricet® may also increase gastric acid secretion so patients should be monitored closely for symptoms of active or occult gastrointestinal bleeding, especially those at increased risk for developing ulcers (those with a history of ulcer disease or those receiving nonsteroidial anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). This drug may cause bladder outflow obstruction and also has the potential to cause generalized convulsions (seizures). Apricet® should be prescribed with care to patients with a history of asthma or obstructive pulmonary disease.

Pregnancy Risk Factor: C, should not be used during pregnancy unless the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the fetus. It is unknown whether donepezil is excreted in human milk.

Adverse Reactions/Side Effects: At least 2% of patients receiving 5mg/day experienced nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting. At least 5% of patients receiving 10mg/day experienced nausea, diarrhea, insomnia, vomiting, muscle cramps, fatigue, and anorexia.

Body as a Whole: Headache, pain (various locations), accident, fatigue, influenza, chest pain, toothache, fever, edema face, periorbital edema, hernia hiatal, abscess, cellulitis, chills, generalized coldness, head fullness, listlessness

Cardiovascular System: Syncope, hypertension, vasodilation, atrial fibrillation, hot flashes, hypotension, angina pectoris, postural hypotension, myocardial infarction, AV block (first degree), congestive heart failure, arteritis, bradycardia, peripheral vascular disease, supraventricular tachycardia, deep vein thrombosis

Digestive System: Nausea, Diarrhea, Vomiting, Anorexia, fecal incontinence, gastrointestinal bleeding, bloating, epigastric pain, eructation, gingivitis, increased appetite, flatulence, periodontal abscess, cholelithiasis, diverticulitis, drooling, dry mouth, fever sore, gastritis, irritable colon, tongue edema, epigastric distress, gastroenteritis, stomach ulcer

Endocrine: diabetes mellitus, goiter

Hemic and Lymphatic System: Ecchymosis, anemia, thrombocythemia, thrombocytopenia, eosinophilia, erythrocytopenia

Metabolic and Nutritional Systems: Weight Decrease, dehydration, gout, hypokalemia, increased creatine kinase, hyperglycemia, weight increase, increased lactate dehydrogenase

Musculoskeletal System: Muscle Cramps, Arthritis, bone fracture, muscle weakness, muscle fasciculation

Nervous System: Insomnia, Dizziness, Depression, Abnormal Dreams, Somnolence, delusions, tremor, irritability, paresthesia, aggression, vertigo, ataxia, increased libido, restlessness, abnormal crying, nervousness, aphasia, cerebrovascular accident, intracranial hemorrhage, transient ischemic attack, emotional lability, neuralgia, coldness (localized), muscle spasm, dysphasia, hostility, decreased libido, melancholia, emotional withdrawal, nystagmus, pacing

Respiratory System: Dyspnea, sore throat, bronchitis, epistaxis, postnasal drip, pneumonia, hyperventilation, pulmonary congestion, wheezing, hypoxia, pharynglitis, pleuisy, pulmonary collapse, sleep apnea, snoring

Skin and Appendages: Pruritus, diaphoresis, urticaria, dermatitis, erythema, skin discoloration, hyperkeratosis, alopecia, fungal dermatitis, herpes zoster, hirsutism, skin striae, night sweats, skin ulcer

Special Senses: Cataract, eye irritation, vision blurred, dry eyes, glaucoma, earache, tinnitus, blepharitis, decreased hearing, retinal hemorrhage, otitis externa, otitis media, bad taste, conjunctival hemorrhage, ear buzzing, motion sickness, spots before eyes

Urogenitial System: Frequent Urination, urinary incontinence, nocturia, dysuria, hematuria, urinary urgency, metrorrhagia, cystitis, enuresis, prostate hypertrophy, pyelonephritis, inability to empty bladder, breast fibroadenosis, fibrocystic breast, mastitis, pyuria, renal failure, vaginitis

Other Side Effects: Abdominal pain, agitation, cholecystitis, confusion, convulsions, hallucinations, heart block, hemolytic anemia, hyponatremia, pancreatitis, and rash

Rivastigmine

U.S. Brand Names: Exelon®

Use: Used to treat the symptoms of Alzheimer's and dementia.

Warnings/Precautions: Use with caution if you have asthma or any other lung disease, difficulty passing urine, a head injury, heart disease or irregular or slow heartbeat, kidney disease, liver disease, low blood pressure, Parkinson's disease, seizures (convulsions), stomach or intestinal disease, ulcers, or stomach bleeding, or if you are a tobacco smoker or have had a past reaction to rivastigmine or its components, or if you are pregnant or nursing.

Adverse Reactions: Side effects include changes in vision or balance, diarrhea, dizziness, fainting spells or falls, increase in frequency of passing urine or incontinence, nervousness, agitation or increased confusion, skin rash or hives, slow heartbeat or palpitations, stomach pain, sweating, uncontrollable movements, vomiting, weight loss, indigestion or heartburn, loss of appetite and nausea.