Common questions about donepezil - Brand names: Aricept, Aricept Evess

Donepezil works by slowing the breakdown of a chemical called acetylcholine in the brain. Higher levels of acetylcholine improves communication between nerve cells in the brain. Acetylcholine sends messages between nerve cells and the brain.

Donepezil does not cure dementia. However, by increasing the amount of acetylcholine in your brain, it can help with symptoms like:

• forgetting recent conversations and where you put things
• forgetting how to do things, like making a cup of tea
• thinking slowly, for example taking longer to reply to what someone says
• finding it more difficult to understand complicated things, like managing money
• feeling anxious
• not wanting to do things

It does not seem to help with symptoms like being agitated or aggressive.

It usually takes at least a month for donepezil to start to work, but it can take longer for some people.

You may notice it starts to help with:

• remembering things like conversations and where you put things
• being able to do everyday activities, like making a cup of tea
• concentrating on things for longer
• feeling less anxious
• feeling more motivated to do things

Donepezil does not help everyone in the same way. Some people find it helps with their symptoms a lot. For others, it might not help at all.

Keep taking your donepezil every day, unless your doctor tells you to stop.

You'll get a follow-up appointment so your doctor can check how well the medicine is working. They'll also check whether you have any side effects.

If you're bothered by side effects, tell your doctor. They may be able to recommend a different medicine.

There's no evidence that donepezil will harm you if you take it for a long time.

You'll have regular check-ups to see whether you're getting any side effects.

Your doctor will only continue to prescribe this medicine for as long as it's helping.

Some people feel sleepy or dizzy when taking donepezil. If this happens to you, do not drive or ride a bike until you feel OK again.

If you've been diagnosed with dementia, you're are legally required to inform the DVLA and your car insurance company promptly.

This does not necessarily mean you have to stop driving immediately. Some people with dementia prefer to give up driving because they find it stressful, but others continue driving for some time as long as it's safe for them to do so.

The DVLA will ask for medical reports and possibly a special driving assessment to decide whether you can continue driving.

It's usually best to not to drink alcohol, or to cut back on your drinking, when taking donepezil. It can stop your medicine from working as well as it should. It can also make you more likely to have side effects.

Drinking alcohol can also make the symptoms of dementia worse. It can make you more forgetful or confused.

Apart from reducing your alcohol intake, you can eat and drink normally while taking donepezil.