What is Combination Therapy?

Is it time to start combination therapy for Alzheimer's disease?

If your loved one has moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease, it may be time to consider combination therapy

Once your loved one is diagnosed, it's important to monitor for any symptom changes, and report those changes to your loved one's doctor. A progression of symptoms may indicate that it's time to start treatment. A stable regimen of ARICEPT must be established before starting combination therapy. People with moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease may benefit from combination therapy with NAMENDA (memantine HCl) and ARICEPT* (donepezil HCl 5-10 mg).

And remember, a recent diagnosis does not necessarily mean a person is in the mild stage of Alzheimer's disease—sometimes a diagnosis isn't made until the person has already progressed to the moderate stage. NAMENDA is indicated for the moderate to severe stages of Alzheimer's disease.

Common signs of moderate Alzheimer's disease

• Increased memory loss and confusion
• Problems recognizing family and friends
• Continuously repeating stories, favorite words, or motions
• Difficulty carrying out tasks that have multiple steps, like getting dressed
• Lack of concern for hygiene and appearance

Common signs of severe Alzheimer's disease

• Inability to recognize oneself or family
• Inability to communicate
• Lack of control of bowel and bladder
• Groaning, moaning, or grunting
• Requiring assistance with all activities of daily living

If your loved one is in the moderate or severe stage of Alzheimer's disease, it may be time to talk to your doctor about combination therapy. A study has shown that people with moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease experienced benefits in thinking, function and behavior when they took NAMENDA together with ARICEPT, compared to those remaining on ARICEPT alone.