Starting Namenda
Easy to Start, Easy to Take
Namenda® (memantine HCl)* is easy to start and easy to take because:
- Namenda can be taken with or without food
- Namenda is available in tablets and liquid, for those who have difficulty swallowing tablets or prefer liquid
- A convenient dosing pack guides patients through the first four weeks of therapy when dosage is gradually increased
Therapy begins at a low dose (5 mg per day) and is gradually increased until the target dose (10 mg, two times a day) is reached. To be effective, Namenda must be taken correctly, according to the following schedule 1:
Namenda dosing schedule
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Week 1: Start on Day 1
Take one 5 mg tablet in the morning, each day.
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Week 2: Start on Day 8
Take one 5 mg tablet in the morning and one 5 mg tablet at night, each day.
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Week 3: Start on Day 15
Take one 10 mg tablet in the morning and one 5 mg tablet at night, each day.
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Week 4: Start on Day 22
Take one 10 mg tablet in the morning and one 10 mg tablet at night, each day.
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Once the target dose (10 mg, two times a day) 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 a day is the recommended dose.) 1
As with all types of prescription medication, do not stop taking Namenda without first talking to a doctor.
