Patient/caregiver was educated on precautions to be exercised while taking Aricept as follows:
- Aricept can induce some dizziness and confusion. Closely watching for the therapeutic response and developing side-effects allows appropriate changes in the dose of Aricept, to help optimum control of your symptoms and can also contribute to controlling/reducing the risk for drowsiness and dizziness due to the medication. If the dizziness becomes bothersome, report it to your physician and other health care personnel, for any change in plan of care to be considered. Caregivers must be increasingly active in watching the patients taking Aricept, to help them keep away from activities that can compromise their safety, such as, independently walking around, until they are used to the side effects caused by Aricept.
- Do not take Aricept with alcohol or opioid pain medications, such as, hydrocodone and codeine, as these products can compound the drowsiness Aricept can cause, thus compromising safety and potentiating a serious risk for accidents and falls. A number of OTC cough medications and antihistamines, muscle relaxant medications, antidepressant medications, antipsychotics, and antianxiety medications, can potentiate the dizziness and confusion caused by Aricept and so, must be avoided taking along with Aricept. Starting the medication at a low dose and gradually increasing the dose, to help optimum control of your symptoms, can contribute to reducing the risk for drowsiness and dizziness due to the medication.
- Take/administer the medication at the same time, every day, to avoid forgetting the medication. Taking/administering the medication at regularly spaced intervals helps to maintain appropriate blood levels of Aricept needed to derive the desired beneficial effects and also prevent toxicity with the medication.
