How is Alzheimer’s disease treated?
AD is a slow disease, starting with mild memory problems and ending with severe brain damage. The course the disease takes and how fast changes occur vary from person to person. On average, AD patients live from 8 to 10 years after they are diagnosed, though the disease can last for as many as 20 years. No treatment can stop AD. However, for some people in the early and middle stages of the disease, the drugs tacrine (Cognex), rivastigmine (Exelon) or galantamine (Reminyl) may help prevent some symptoms from becoming worse for a limited time. Donepezil (Aricept) has been approved by the FDA as effective in treating all stages of AD. Another drug, memantine (Namenda), has been approved for treatment of moderate to severe AD and is usually used along with other medications. Also, some medicines may help control behavioral symptoms of AD such as sleeplessness, agitation, wandering, anxiety and depression. Treating these symptoms often makes patients more comfortable and makes their care e
