Aricept, Exelon, Reminyl side effects

With all the advertising for Aricept the following might be worth knowing about. I've copied just the part that concerns HR and pacemaker implants as the article was rather long.

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Patients taking a class of medications for Alzheimer's disease and dementia are at greater risk of side effects than many doctors realize, a new study suggests.

The drugs - Aricept, Exelon and Reminyl - are known as cholinesterase inhibitors. As an unintended consequence, the drugs can slow the heart rate and trigger fainting spells.

Some patients have received heart pacemakers because their physicians did not realize the medications can lead to a slower heart rate.

Dr. Gill, and research colleagues, used Ontario medical records to gauge the extent of the problem. According to the study results, patients taking the dementia drugs had a 49 per cent increased chance of having a pacemaker implanted. The findings were published in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine.

frank

2 Comments

The Rest of the Story

by ElectricFrank - 2009-05-31 12:05:28

I've also recently seen some "research" published that is leading toward using Aricept as a way for lower the risk of Alzheimer's in heathy people (like they do with statins for chlorestorol) . Expect to see the ad's in the next year or two.

The scary thing is that the public is scared by the advertising and their doc into using the stuff, and of course we all pay for it.

frank

I agree

by ElectricFrank - 2009-06-01 04:06:58

I agree, but the patient or caregivers should be given the total picture including the negative side before embarking on a drug with serious side effects.

The point of the article was that "Some patients have received heart pacemakers because their physicians did not realize the medications can lead to a slower heart rate." The drug companies often keep this sort of information quiet in their quest for profits.

I'm sorry to hear that you have a family member affected by dementia. It's a rough situation. I also have a family member in the earlier stages.

frank

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