Introduction

This information is for people who have dementia, or their carers. It tells you about memantine (Ebixa), a treatment used for dementia. It is based on the best and most up-to-date research.

Does it help?

Yes. If someone with moderate or severe Alzheimer's disease takes memantine, their memory may improve slightly and they may be able to think more clearly. They may also be able to do more things for themselves, which means they need less help from carers.

Memantine may help people with vascular dementia as well.

What is it?

Memantine is a drug for the treatment of Alzheimer's. Its brand name is Ebixa. In the NHS, memantine is recommended for people with severe Alzheimer's. However, it can also be taken by people with moderate Alzheimer's who are unable to take donepezil, galantamine, or rivastigmine.^[53] To learn more, see How is Alzheimer's disease treated?

Memantine is usually taken in the morning as a tablet. Some people with dementia have to take memantine for up to four months before they get any benefit. If there's no sign of side effects after taking the drug for about one month, doctors may recommend a larger dose. The larger dose may work better.

How can it help?

Memantine is likely to help with memory and thinking.^{[54][55][56][57]} But the improvements will probably be small. People with more severe dementia may be helped the most.^[58]

Memantine can also help people do more for themselves.^[55][56] But, again, the improvements will probably be small.

People with Alzheimer's or vascular dementia who take memantine may not need as much help from day to day.^[55][56] In one study, people with dementia who took memantine needed 52 fewer hours of care each month on average than those taking a dummy treatment (a placebo).^[59]

One summary of the research looking at memantine and other dementia drugs (called cholinesterase inhibitors) said they made small improvements in people's memory and thinking, but the improvements might be so small they made little difference to the person with dementia.^[39]

How does it work?

Memantine changes the way brain cells communicate with each other. It also alters the amount of calcium in brain cells. One theory about Alzheimer's is that brain cells die because there is a build-up of calcium. So, if memantine can stop or slow down this build-up, it might slow down the brain damage linked to Alzheimer's.^[55][56]

Can it be harmful?

People taking memantine sometimes get constipation, high blood pressure, dizziness, drowsiness, vomiting, problems walking, and headaches.^[60][61] Less commonly, some people taking memantine develop heart failure, and there have been rare reports of people getting seizures.