The cholinesterase inhibitors like Aricept (i.e., donepezil) have been available for treatment of dementias such as Alzheimer’s disease for two decades. It is clear that long-term use of these medications slows the progression of Alzheimer’s disease (in those who tolerate them) and that discontinuing these medications after extended use produces a risk of more rapid decline even in those who are in middle and late stage dementia. The standard of care for use of medications to treat Alzheimer’s related dementias recommends use of a cholinesterase inhibitor (donepezil, Exelon, and galantamine) starting in Mild Cognitive Impairment and early stage dementia. Namenda (i.e., memantine) has been available to treat middle and late stage (but not early stage) dementia for over a decade. A recent study (Cumulative, additive benefits of memantine and donepezil combination over component monotherapies in moderate to severe dementia: a […]