What are the benefits of cholinesterase inhibitors?
In clinical trials of all three cholinesterase inhibitors, individuals taking the medications performed better on tests of memory and thinking than those taking a placebo (inactive substance). The degree of benefit was small, and more than half of the recipients showed no improvement at all. In terms of overall effect, most experts believe cholinesterase inhibitors may delay or slow worsening of symptoms in some individuals for about six months to a year, although some may benefit longer. There is no evidence that combining these drugs would be any more helpful than taking any one of them, and it is likely combining them would result in greater frequency of side effects (discussed below). There is some evidence that individuals with moderate to severe Alzheimer’s who are taking a cholinesterase inhibitor might benefit slightly more by also taking memantine (Namenda). Memantine is a drug with a different mechanism of action, approved by the FDA in 2003 for symptoms of moderate to severe
