Patient/caregiver was educated on contraindications for using Aricept as follows:
- Patients with history of mood disorders, secondary to Aricept intake, can experience deterioration and worsening of symptoms of mood disorders. Individuals can present with worsening complaints such as, feeling low and depressed, anxiety, panic attacks, trouble sleeping, gross appetite changes, impulsiveness, agitation, aggression, and suicidal thoughts. Aricept must be administered with extreme caution in individuals with history of mood disorders.
- Lowered heart rate and blood pressure with Aricept use can result in worsening signs and symptoms of hypotension and bradycardia, especially in individuals with history of the same. Patients can increasingly present with findings such as, frequent episodes of fatigue, lightheadedness, near fainting, shortness of breath, chest pain or discomfort, and ineffective heartbeat. Aricept also carries the risk of aggravating some underlying cardiac arrhythmias leading to severe debility and death. Aricept must be administered with extreme caution in individuals with history of severe hypotension, bradycardia, and life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias.
