Reminyl Side Effects
Reminyl is a prescription medication used to slow the mental decline of patients suffering from mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease or dementia. As with any medication, use of Reminyl can cause certain side effects. While most of these side effects are minor, consult your physician if they should become extremely bothersome.
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How Reminyl Works
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Reminyl is the brand name for the generic drug galantamine. It is manufactured by Janssen Pharmaceutical Products and is prescribed to patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease or dementia.
Reminyl works by increasing levels of the brain chemical acetylcholine. Studies have found that the cells that produce acetylcholine are often impaired in many cases of Alzheimer's disease. Acetylcholine is critical in helping the brain communicate with the body.
How To Take Reminyl
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The dosage of Reminyl starts off at a minimum of 8 mg per day and is increased in intervals every four weeks until the desired results or maximum dosage of 24 mg per day has been achieved.
For patients with liver or kidney impairment, the maximum dose is 16 mg per day.
Reminyl is prescribed in both tablet and liquid solution form. The liquid solution is measured and released into a (non-alcoholic) beverage for immediate consumption.
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Side Effects
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As with any drug, there are certain side effects that are associated with Reminyl. While most are not serious, if they should increase in intensity or show up suddenly after you've been taking Reminyl without prior incident, consult your physician.
Common side effects associated with Reminyl include pain in the abdomen, low blood-iron (anemia, diarrhea, fatigue, sleeplessness, appetite loss, nausea, weight loss, tremors and urinary symptoms such as urinary tract infections and blood in the urine). Most of these side effects can be easily managed, but if they should become bothersome, contact your doctor.
Caution
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There are certain instances in which patients should take Reminyl only if the benefits strongly outweigh the risks associated with a current medical condition they may have. Patients with a history of ulcers of the stomach, asthma, lung diseases and heart conditions should take Reminyl only under the close supervision of a physician, as Reminyl can aggravate these conditions.
Who Should Not Use Reminyl?
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In some cases, Reminyl should not be prescribed to patients who are taking certain other medications for other conditions. These medications include drugs used to treat Parkinson's disease such as Cogentin or Artane; Tagamet (a drug used for indigestion and digestive issues); Erythromycin (an antibiotic); Paroxetine (Paxil, a drug used for depression); NSAID pain relievers such as Motrin or Advil; medications used to treat urinary tract infections; Nizoral (a medicated shampoo that treats dandruff); and Antivert (a drug to treat motion sickness).
Make sure that your doctor knows all of the medications you take before you take Reminyl. He or she will be able to tell you if the drugs you take can cause adverse reactions with Reminyl usage.
What to Look For
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As with any drug, if yellowing of the skin or eyes should occur, consult a physician immediately, as your liver may not be able to remove Reminyl from your body, which can have serious health effects and even cause death if left untreated.
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