Memantine

Memantine, sold under the brand name Namenda among others, is a medication used to slow the progression of moderate-to-severe <a href="/facts/Alzheimer%2527s_disease/w7Ad6tdg">Alzheimer's disease</a>. It is taken <a href="/facts/By_mouth/vNQcvLVx">by mouth</a>.
Common <a href="/facts/Side_effect/PhuX2haY">side effects</a> include <a href="/facts/Headache/mdmmC9DP">headache</a>, <a href="/facts/Constipation/l4DHHM6L">constipation</a>, <a href="/facts/Sleepiness/mIlFhyf0">sleepiness</a>, and <a href="/facts/Dizziness/eI8UvmS5">dizziness</a>. Severe side effects may include <a href="/facts/Blood_clot/vH6FDIQG">blood clots</a>, <a href="/facts/Psychosis/cVGd7MKK">psychosis</a>, and <a href="/facts/Heart_failure/7fckX3Jm">heart failure</a>. It is believed to work by acting on <a href="/facts/NMDA_receptor/BqMhXEbU">NMDA receptors</a>, working as a <a href="/facts/Channel_blocker/st53fGqP">pore blocker</a> of these <a href="/facts/Ion_channel/A46LARFH">ion channels</a>.
Memantine was first discovered in 1963. It was approved for medical use in <a href="/facts/Germany/paluuWBX">Germany</a> in 1989, in the <a href="/facts/European_Union/6GYcR8qM">European Union</a> in 2002, and in the <a href="/facts/United_States/P0sCdLe5">United States</a> in 2003. It is available as a <a href="/facts/Generic_medication/IF6AXDVX">generic medication</a>. In 2022, it was the 150th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 3 million prescriptions.

Memantine open-in-new

Memantine