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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Does Rivastigmine Tartrate 1.5 Help With Primary Progressive Aphasia

My mother is 86. She was diagnosed with Primary progressive Aphasia 7 years ago. For 5 years she is on Aricept 10 and Namenda 10mg. The doctor we saw today suggested leaving Aricept and for two days and then starting Rivastigmine Tartrate 1.5 2 times a day. She is unable to speak, to think clearly, lost ability to read and write. Could switching medications help her? Does benefit worth the risk? Thank you in advance, Marina
Fri, 16 Sep 2016
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Diabetologist,  's  Response
Changing from aricept(donepezil) to rivastigmine might not have much beneficial effect.
Few points you might consider discussing with your healthcare practitioner
- Donepezil might have an edge over rivastigmine in terms of effectiveness
- Donepezil has been associated with less side effects when compared to rivastigmine
I wouldn't have stopped my patient who is doing good on aricept except if there are side effects. So I would suggest you to discuss the above points with your physician and take decision jointly.
P.s: Both the above points are evidence based - evidence generated from large clinical trials.
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Does Rivastigmine Tartrate 1.5 Help With Primary Progressive Aphasia

Changing from aricept(donepezil) to rivastigmine might not have much beneficial effect. Few points you might consider discussing with your healthcare practitioner - Donepezil might have an edge over rivastigmine in terms of effectiveness - Donepezil has been associated with less side effects when compared to rivastigmine I wouldn t have stopped my patient who is doing good on aricept except if there are side effects. So I would suggest you to discuss the above points with your physician and take decision jointly. P.s: Both the above points are evidence based - evidence generated from large clinical trials.