Florence A <smada@webtv.net> is alleged to have said:

My mom is on this combination.  I think she's doing better than she
was on Exelon, which we tried for a while.  She seems a litle more
focused, a little more "there" than she was.  She's back to doing her
own nails, for instance.

Her memories are still fading.  She says she doesn't know the friends
and relatives we are getting Christmas cards from, which is sad.  But
her short-term memory is a little better, so daily life is improved.

The down side to being more focused is being clearer that there's
something wrong with her, which makes her angry and depressed.  It's
the bad memory that keeps her from denying that there's anything wrong
with her (which she's also done).

When my mother first came to live with me and we got the Alzheimer's
diagnosis, I had a dream that my best friend was sailing away on a
ship, and all I could do was stand on the shore and watch the ship draw
away and get smaller and smaller.  I woke up weeping, which I hadn't
done until then.

Christmas can depress the mentally heartiest among us, mostly by never
quite living up to expectations, usually by falling way short.  Like
the kids who sit on a mountain of presents, boxes and wrapping paper
and yell "Is that all?"  But peace of mind doesn't come in a
prettily-wrapped package, and I think that's what we really want.

I'm not in Europe, nor have we gotten Namenda from Europe for my client.

However, once the drug was added and my client began receiving it on a
regular basis, we have all seen a marked improvement - though there are
days. . . . - but for the most part, she's responding to this
combination of Aricept and Namenda quite well.

(She's also on Doxepin to relieve her episodes of scratching herself, as
well as depression)

Hope this has helped.

Keep in mind that my client is an Early-Onset patient.

Feather

I am inclined to believe that the combination has been very helpful.  Of
course, 'twill not *stop* the decline much less reverse it (as was
indicated by some of the very early hype), but I do believe it has
slowed things down for the Dowager.

Of course, the fact that she likes her new Assisted Living Facility
helps, too.  She complains about boredom on some days, but on others is
full of all the interesting things they did today....  Engaging her
interest seems also to have helped slow the decline.

<snip>

Blessed be,
Baird

 I think it's been good for my husband. He has been taking Memantine for
about 3 years; Aricept for about 6. The combination has slowed down the
progression of the AD, I'm sure. He is still deteriorating, but at a slower
rate.

 > I would like to know how those caregivers who started  thei LO's on
 > Namenda with Aricept  early this year, or even those who started a bit
 > earlier by getting the product from Europe, feel their LO's are doing.
 >
 > Do you feel the meds were helpful?
 > Are they still taking them,?
 >
 > I feel my husband might have declined faster had he not taken these
 > meds, Of corse,  we will never know for sure.
 >
 >  It's so sad to notice the slipping away sort of like the way an
 > escalator's steps slip away and get smaller >> & realize there is
 > nothing >> . you are where you are.  I'll continue with the meds ..but
 > its tuff-----maybe it's the Christmas season
 >
 > Florence.
 >