Donepezil Orion
Donepezil Orion helps people with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease by boosting a brain chemical important for memory.
Form
tabletti, kalvopäällysteinen
Strength
10 mg
Active Ingredient
Donepezil hydrochloride
Manufacturer
Orion Corporation
How to Use
Dosage
Start with one 5 mg white tablet every evening. After one month, your doctor may ask you to take one 10 mg yellow tablet every evening.
Method
Swallow the tablet whole with a glass of water in the evening before you go to bed.
Important
The highest recommended dose is 10 mg once a day in the evening.
Possible Side Effects
COMMON
- •Diarrhea
- •Headache
- •Feeling sick (nausea)
- •Common cold
- •Tiredness
- •Loss of appetite
- •Seeing or hearing things that are not real (hallucinations)
- •Feeling restless
- •Aggressive behavior
- •Fainting
- •Dizziness
- •Vomiting
- •Trouble sleeping (insomnia)
- •Stomach discomfort
- •Rash
- •Itching
- •Muscle cramps
- •Difficulty holding urine (incontinence)
- •Pain
- •Accidents, like falls (increased risk)
- •Unusual dreams, including nightmares
RARE
- •Slow heartbeat
- •Too much saliva
- •Increased levels of a muscle enzyme called creatinine kinase in the blood
- •Movement problems like shaking, stiffness, or uncontrolled movements of the face, tongue, and limbs
- •Heart block (a problem with the heart's electrical signals)
- •Changes in heart activity seen on an ECG, known as 'prolonged QT interval'
- •Fast, irregular heartbeat and fainting, which can be symptoms of a serious condition called Torsade de pointes
- •Increased sexual desire or hypersexuality
- •Pisa syndrome (a condition with involuntary muscle contractions and abnormal bending of the body and head to one side)
- •Liver damage, such as hepatitis. Symptoms include feeling sick, throwing up, not wanting to eat, feeling generally unwell, fever, itching, yellowing of skin/eyes, and dark urine.
- •Stomach or gut ulcers. Symptoms include stomach pain or discomfort in the upper belly area.
- •Bleeding in the stomach or intestines. This can cause black, tar-like stools or visible blood from your rectum.
- •Seizures or convulsions.
- •Fever with stiff muscles, sweating, or decreased awareness (called 'neuroleptic malignant syndrome').
- •Muscle weakness, tenderness, or pain, especially with feeling unwell, high fever, or dark urine. This can be due to muscle breakdown (rhabdomyolysis), which can lead to life-threatening kidney problems.
Important Warnings
- Do not take if you are allergic to donepezil, piperidine derivatives, or any other ingredients in this medicine.
- Tell your doctor if you have had stomach or gut ulcers.
- Tell your doctor if you have had seizures or fits.
- Tell your doctor if you have heart problems like a slow or irregular heartbeat, heart failure, or a heart attack.
- Tell your doctor if you have a heart condition called 'prolonged QT interval', have had abnormal heart rhythms like Torsade de pointes, or if someone in your family has had a prolonged QT interval.
Show 6 more warnings
- Tell your doctor if you have low magnesium or potassium levels in your blood.
- Tell your doctor if you have asthma or another long-term lung disease.
- Tell your doctor if you have liver problems or hepatitis, as your dose might need to be changed. Do not take this medicine if you have severe liver disease.
- Tell your doctor if you have trouble urinating or kidney disease.
- Do not drink alcohol while taking this medicine, as it can change how donepezil works.
- Donepezil Orion is not recommended during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Ask your doctor for advice if you are pregnant, think you might be, or are breastfeeding.
Use in Elderly Patients
Category C
Suitable for older adults, with specific precautions. Risk of QT prolongation. Increases the risk of cardiac conduction disorders, such as bradycardia. May exacerbate existing COPD. Consider adverse effects affecting the gastrointestinal tract. Consider potential interactions. Avoid concomitant use of anticholinergic medicines. (updated 18.3.2024)