Taking Namenda

How will my loved one take NAMENDA?

If you think NAMENDA (memantine HCl) may be right for your loved one, talk to your doctor about how to begin therapy.

Taking NAMENDA:

• NAMENDA can be taken with or without food
• NAMENDA is available in tablets and as a liquid, for those who have difficulty swallowing tablets or prefer liquid
• A convenient dosing pack guides patients through the first four weeks of therapy while dosage is gradually increased

Therapy begins at a low dose (5 mg per day) of NAMENDA and is gradually increased until the recommended target dose (10 mg, twice daily) is reached. A recommended dosing schedule for beginning NAMENDA therapy is provided below.

Recommended NAMENDA dosing schedule

• Week 1: Starting on Day 1. Take one 5 mg tablet in the morning, eachday.
• Week 2: Starting on Day 8. Take one 5 mg tablet in the morning and one 5 mg tablet at night, each day.
• Week 3: Starting on Day 15. Take one 10 mg tablet in the morning and one 5 mg tablet at night, each day.
• Week 4: Starting on Day 22. Take one 10 mg tablet in the morning and one 10 mg tablet at night, each day.

Once the recommended target dose of NAMENDA (10 mg, twice daily) has been reached, people taking NAMENDA can continue with that daily regimen unless instructed otherwise by their doctors. (For patients with severe renal impairment, 5 mg twice daily is the recommended dose.) As with all types of prescription medications, do not stop taking NAMENDA without first talking to a doctor.

There is no evidence that NAMENDA prevents or slows the underlying disease process in patients with Alzheimer’s disease.