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What Causes Stomach Cramps And Vomiting After Taking Exelon For MCI Treatment?
Question: My husband has been disgnosed with MCI and been put on 1 1/2gms exelon, he was fine but now on doubling after a week, he has stomach cramps, vomitting....is
Please ask your doctor to change the medicine if he can't tolerate.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
He's now back ro the original dose and seems better but how long has this pill been in use and are there others he could try
Brief Answer:
If on oral form, transdermal patch could be tried.
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
I read your question carefully and I am sorry about the side effects your husband has experienced.
Exelon (Rivastigmine) belongs to a group of drugs used for conditions like Alzheimer's (of which MCI may be a precussor) called reversible acetylcholinesterase inhibitors.
It has been available since 1997 and it is known to have gastrointestinal side effects in some patients. Other members of the same class used for the same reason are donepezil or galantamine, but chances are that since they have the same mechanism of action they might have similar side effects.
However if your husband has been taking it orally there is an alternative because Rivastigmine has also transdermal patch form which while with similar efficacy has fewer gastrointestinal side effects. So that would be the best alternative.
If that is not possible the only Alzheimer's therapeutic alternative is a drug called Memantine, but for now it is approved only for moderate to severe cases and it has not been shown (yet at least) to have benefits in being used for mild Alzheimer's cases.
I remain at your disposal for further questions.
If on oral form, transdermal patch could be tried.
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
I read your question carefully and I am sorry about the side effects your husband has experienced.
Exelon (Rivastigmine) belongs to a group of drugs used for conditions like Alzheimer's (of which MCI may be a precussor) called reversible acetylcholinesterase inhibitors.
It has been available since 1997 and it is known to have gastrointestinal side effects in some patients. Other members of the same class used for the same reason are donepezil or galantamine, but chances are that since they have the same mechanism of action they might have similar side effects.
However if your husband has been taking it orally there is an alternative because Rivastigmine has also transdermal patch form which while with similar efficacy has fewer gastrointestinal side effects. So that would be the best alternative.
If that is not possible the only Alzheimer's therapeutic alternative is a drug called Memantine, but for now it is approved only for moderate to severe cases and it has not been shown (yet at least) to have benefits in being used for mild Alzheimer's cases.
I remain at your disposal for further questions.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Bhagyalaxmi Nalaparaju
Answered by
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