Indications & formulation #
Mild-to-moderate Alzheimer dementia. This reference covers the selected formulation; other indications and products need their own evidence.
Dose reference #
Adult educational reference · Oral tablet · United States. The clinician selects treatment after assessment; this page does not calculate or change a prescription.
Start 5 mg in the evening; wait 4–6 weeks before increasing to 10 mg/day, the maximum for this selected severity/formulation scope.
Contraindications & important cautions #
Assess bradycardia/syncope, gastrointestinal bleeding risk, weight loss and interacting anticholinergics.
Selected important cautions; consult the full product information for all contraindications and warnings.
Adverse effects #
Gastrointestinal effects, weight loss, bradycardia/syncope and sleep-related effects may occur.
Interactions #
Assess other bradycardic drugs, anticholinergic burden and relevant metabolic interactions.
Monitoring #
Review cognition alongside daily function, weight, pulse, falls and caregiver observations; reassess the treatment goal.
Special populations #
Review cardiac conduction disease, falls and frailty. Severe-disease products and higher-strength regimens require separate review.
Adult scope. Pregnancy, breastfeeding and pediatric use require the exact product’s population-specific guidance and individual assessment.
Discontinuation, restarting & counseling #
Reassess cognition and daily function with caregivers; after interruption seek restart advice rather than doubling doses.
Condition-specific prescribing #
Additional indication-specific records retain their own formulation and source context.
Donepezil
Mild–moderate Alzheimer dementia
Adults · Conventional tablet · Oral · US label; treatment positioning also informed by UK NICE
- Starting dose
- 5 mg once daily in the evening.
- Titration
- Consider 10 mg/day only after 4–6 weeks at 5 mg/day, if tolerated.
- Treatment range / target
- 5–10 mg once daily.
- Maximum / limits
- 10 mg/day for this indication. The separate 23 mg regimen for moderate–severe disease is not represented here.
- Trial & duration
- Continue according to benefit and tolerability; reassess rather than using a fixed course.
- Monitoring
- Pulse, syncope, weight, gastrointestinal tolerance and bleeding symptoms.
- Population & organ-function adjustments
- Individualize for frailty and interacting medicines; no fixed geriatric reduction is specified here.
- Important cautions
- Bradycardia/heart block, peptic-ulcer risk, asthma/COPD, anticholinergic antagonism.
Brands & products #
Historical catalogue observations. Prices and catalogue presence do not establish current availability or Indian approval.
Reference coverage #
Structured summary of selected adult uses, not an exhaustive monograph. Indian product authorization and local prescribing requirements have not been reconciled.
References · 3
- Donepezil — Oral tablet — selected prescribing information · United States · Checked 2026-10-27 · Selected formulation: Oral tablet · Supports indications, dose, cautions, adverse effects, interactions, monitoring, special populations and stopping. Source sections: Indications and usage; Dosage and administration; Contraindications; warnings and precautions; Use in specific populations; patient counseling
- DailyMed: Donepezil conventional tablets, sections 2 and 5 · United States label · Checked 2026-10-26 · Supports: Donepezil — Mild–moderate Alzheimer dementia (Conventional tablet)
- NICE NG97: Dementia recommendations · United Kingdom · Checked 2026-10-26 · Supports: Donepezil — Mild–moderate Alzheimer dementia (Conventional tablet)