What Is the Exelon Patch?

Dementia is a key characteristic of Alzheimer's disease, and a debilitative effect from Parkinson's disease. A progessive loss in cognitive function is apparent in both conditions. And while there is, as of yet, no cure for either disease, the Exelon patch has proved to be an effective treatment for symptoms of dementia that occur as a result of these conditions.

Identification

• Exelon is the brand name for Rivastigmine, a medication prescribed in the treatment of dementia caused by mild to moderate Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. It is the only FDA-approved drug used to treat these conditions. Exelon is manufactured by the Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp., and can be applied as a patch, or orally, in capsule and liquid forms. In patch form, the medicine enters the body through the skin, and goes directly into the bloodstream. It works as an acetycholinesterase inhibitor to improve overall cognitive functioning

Features

• The Exelon patch is made up of four layers. An outer shell works to hold the patch together. The actual medicine portion is contained in the second layer. The third layer is the adhesive portion, while the fourth layer is a protective liner that's removed when the patch is applied. When first starting treatment, a low dosage patch containing 4.6 milligrams is applied once daily for a four-week trial period. Depending on how your body reacts to the initial dose will determine whether or not it's increased. If increased, the dosage will contain 9.5 milligrams for a 24-hour period.

Function

• As an acetycholinesterase inhibitor, the Exelon patch works to increase the amount of acetycholine--a neurotransmitter--by decreasing the amount of acetycholinerase in the brain. Acetycholinerase is responsible for breaking down acetycholine, and is produced in excess amounts when Parkinson's or Alzheimer's conditions are present. This increased amount of acetylcholine in the brain results in improved memory and awareness, as well as improvement in daily living skills.

  Both Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases are conditions in which a person's neurological system begins to degenerate at a progressive rate. And while Alzheimer's is classified as a form of dementia, Parkinson's is moreso associated with impaired motor skills functioning. However, Parkinson's patients who have difficulty solving problems, remembering things, and have short attention spans may be suffering from Parkinson's Disease Dementia if no other causes of dementia are identified within a 2 year time frame.

Effects

• The high incidence of side effects recorded as a result of the Exelon patch is why initial dosages are low, and tested over a four-week trial period. Patients are also advised to resume the initial 4.6 milligram dose if the maintenance dose (9.5 milligrams) is interrupted, or missed for several days. Side effects most often result from overdosing. Symptoms of too much Exelon in the system include: sweating, slowed respiration, severe nausea, vomiting, salivation, convulsions, and fainting. Any continued increases in muscle weakness may be fatal if respiratory functions are affected.

  In the case of Alzheimer's's disease, the stage, or severity of the condition will determine whether or not an Exelon patch is administered. And though the patch itself is not a cure for Alzheimer's's or Parkinson's, it does reduce symtpoms related to dementia when dementia is present.

Considerations

• Certain pre-exisitng conditions may require your doctor to more closely monitor how your body reacts to the Exelon patch. Individuals with a history of asthma, or severe respiratory disease, urinary problems, low body weight, impaired liver function, tremors, stomach ulcer, seizures, or an irregular heartbeat will require closer supervision by both doctors, and caretakers.

  Adverse chemical interactions are possible if the patch is used along with certain medications. Anticholinergic drugs, cholinergic drugs, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are all known to have adverse effects when used with the patch. As Exelon is classified as a cholinergic medicine, taking another type of cholinergic drug along with it may increase your risk of side effects. Whereas, anticholinergics taken in conjunction with the patch may reduce the effectiveness of both drugs. Taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs with Exelon may result in an increased risk of stomach, or intestinal ulcers.