My husband was on Donepezil 5 mg. It helped but then he started getting very agitated. They recommended a slight tranquilizer. He then slept a lot. I listened to Awakening Alzheimer I weaned him off his tablets and have him on their recommended supplements and he has doses of coconut oil. he has changed dramatically. Only sleeps at night and has started pottering around his workshop and doing some gardening.He has even taken the car to visit his friend. He is still wary of going on trips with the car.

We have been told that these drugs slow the progression of the disease. There is no way to gage that, but research has shown this is true. He has continued to take them and I feel confident that he would be much worse by now if he was not taking them.

My Mom is in the moderate stage & has been on Aricept & Namenda for almost a year now. We couldn't really see any improvement, but she says it works & told her neuro that it " makes things clearer". After talking with her Neuro, we decided that since she feels like they are working that's really all that matters. Changing medications or removing them would only confuse her and/or stress her out.

My mom has been on it for at least five years. Hard to tell if it has helped as this disease just keep progressing. We have good and bad days.

My problem with the meds-dad died 11 yrs ago from AD now MIL has dementia diagnosis- is how do we know whether the meds help as the disease progresses differently for every individual? Added namenda to MIL 6 months ago and since have watched a huge progression of the disease in her.
Sometimes I feel like her taking the meds make us feel better and more in control of this ugly disease.