Key facts
- Active ingredient
- Memantine Hydrochloride
- Drug class
- N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor Antagonist
- Form
- Capsule, extended release, Kit, Tablet
- Strength
- Memantine Hydrochloride 14MG · Memantine Hydrochloride 21MG · Memantine Hydrochloride 28MG · Memantine Hydrochloride 7MG
- Type
- Prescription (Rx)
- Brand or generic
- Generic
- May treat
- alzheimer disease
- Manufacturer
- Vitruvias
- Half-life
- about 60 to 80 hours (how long it stays in your system)
- What the pharmacy pays
- ~$2.46 for 30 — not your price
- FDA application
- ANDA213985
What is Memantine Hydrochloride?
From the FDA label:Memantine hydrochloride extended-release capsules is an orally active NMDA receptor antagonist. The chemical name for memantine hydrochloride is 1-amino-3,5-dimethyladamantane hydrochloride with the following structural formula: The molecular formula is C 12 H 21 N•HCl and the molecular weight is 215.76. Memantine hydrochloride occurs as a fine white to off-white powder and is soluble in water. Memantine hydrochloride extended-release capsules are supplied for oral administration as 7 mg, 14 mg, 21 mg and 28 mg capsules. Among them, 7 mg strength is supplied in opaque light green cap and opaque white body capsule, with "LPM" black imprint on the cap and "7 mg" black imprint on the body, 14 mg strength is supplied in opaque blue cap and opaque white body capsule, with "LPM" black imprint on the cap and "14 mg" black imprint on the body, 21 mg strength is supplied in opaque white cap and opaque white body capsule, with "LPM" black imprint on the cap and "21 mg" black imprint on the body, 28 mg strength is supplied in the opaque rich yellow cap and opaque white body capsule, with "LPM" black imprint on the cap and "28 mg" black imprint on the body. Each capsule contains extended-release white to off-white beads with the labeled amount of memantine hydrochloride and the following inactive ingredients: sugar spheres (sucrose, maize starch, and dextrin), polyvinylpyrrolidone,…
How to use
Memantine Hydrochloride is sold in more than one form (Capsule, extended release, Kit and Tablet), and each is dosed differently. The instructions below come from the FDA label for application ANDA213985 — follow the label that came with the product you were actually prescribed.
The recommended starting dose of memantine hydrochloride extended-release capsules is 7 mg once daily; the dose should be increased in 7 mg increments to the recommended maintenance dose of 28 mg once daily; the minimum recommended interval between dose increases is one week. ( 2.1 ) Patients with severe renal impairment: the recommended maintenance dose of memantine hydrochloride extended-release capsules is 14 mg once daily. ( 2.3 ) 2.1 Recommended Dosing The dosage of memantine hydrochloride extended-release capsules shown to be effective in a controlled clinical trial is 28 mg once daily. The recommended starting dose of memantine hydrochloride extended-release capsules is 7 mg once daily. The dose should be increased in 7 mg increments to the recommended maintenance dose of 28 mg once daily. The minimum recommended interval between dose increases is one week. The dose should only be increased if the previous dose has been well tolerated. The maximum recommended dose is 28 mg once daily. Memantine hydrochloride extended-release capsules can be taken with or without food. Memantine hydrochloride extended-release capsules can be taken intact or may be opened, sprinkled on applesauce, and thereby swallowed. The entire contents of each memantine hydrochloride extended-release capsule should be consumed; the dose should not be divided. Except when opened and sprinkled on…
Side effects
The most commonly observed adverse reactions occurring at a frequency of at least 5% and greater than placebo with administration of memantine hydrochloride extended-release capsules 28 mg/day were headache, diarrhea and dizziness. ( 6.1 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Xiamen LP Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. at 1-877-676-0778 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch . 6.1 Clinical Trial s Experience Memantine hydrochloride extended-release capsules was evaluated in a double-blind placebo-controlled trial in which a total of 676 patients with moderate to severe dementia of the Alzheimer's type (341 patients on memantine hydrochloride extended-release capsules 28 mg/day and 335 patients on placebo) were treated for up to 24 weeks. Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice. Adverse Reactions Leading to Discontinuation In the placebo-controlled clinical trial of memantine hydrochloride extended-release capsules, the proportion of patients in the memantine hydrochloride extended-release capsules group and the placebo group who discontinued treatment due to adverse reactions was 10% and 6%, respectively. The most common adverse reaction that led…
Warnings
Important safety information
Conditions that raise urine pH may decrease the urinary elimination of memantine resulting in increased plasma levels of memantine. ( 5.1 , 7.1 ) 5.1 Genitourinary Conditions Conditions that raise urine pH may decrease the urinary elimination of memantine resulting in increased plasma levels of memantine [see Drug Interactions ( 7.1 )] .
Who should not take Memantine Hydrochloride
Memantine hydrochloride extended-release capsules is contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity to memantine hydrochloride or to any excipients used in the formulation . Memantine hydrochloride extended-release capsules is contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity to memantine hydrochloride or to any excipients used in the formulation. ( 4 )
Overdose — what happens if you take too much
Signs and symptoms most often accompanying overdosage with other formulations of memantine in clinical trials and from worldwide marketing experience, alone or in combination with other drugs and/or alcohol, include agitation, asthenia, bradycardia, confusion, coma, dizziness, ECG changes, increased blood pressure, lethargy, loss of consciousness, psychosis, restlessness, slowed movement, somnolence, stupor, unsteady gait, visual hallucinations, vertigo, vomiting, and weakness. The largest known ingestion of memantine worldwide was 2 grams in a patient who took memantine in conjunction with unspecified antidiabetic medications. This patient experienced coma, diplopia, and agitation, but subsequently recovered. One patient participating in a memantine hydrochloride extended-release capsules clinical trial unintentionally took 112 mg of memantine hydrochloride extended-release capsules daily for 31 days and experienced an elevated serum uric acid, elevated serum alkaline phosphatase, and low platelet count. Fatal outcome has been very rarely reported with memantine, and the relationship to memantine was unclear. Because strategies for the management of overdose are continually evolving, it is advisable to contact a poison control center to determine the latest recommendations for the management of an overdose of any drug. As in any cases of overdose, general supportive measures…
U.S. Poison Control: call or text 1-800-222-1222 (free, 24/7). In an emergency call 911. From the FDA label; not medical advice.
Interactions
7.1 Drugs That Make Urine Alkaline The clearance of memantine was reduced by about 80% under alkaline urine conditions at pH 8. Therefore, alterations of urine pH towards the alkaline condition may lead to an accumulation of the drug with a possible increase in adverse effects. Urine pH is altered by diet, drugs (e.g. carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, sodium bicarbonate) and clinical state of the patient (e.g. renal tubular acidosis or severe infections of the urinary tract). Hence, memantine should be used with caution under these conditions. 7. 2 Use with O th er N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) A ntagonists The combined use of memantine hydrochloride extended-release capsules with other NMDA antagonists (amantadine, ketamine, and dextromethorphan) has not been systematically evaluated and such use should be approached with caution.
How long does Memantine Hydrochloride stay in your body?
The elimination half-life of memantine hydrochloride is about 60 to 80 hours — the time it takes the body to clear about half of it. As a rule of thumb, a medicine is mostly gone after roughly 4 to 5 half-lives, though this varies from person to person with age and kidney or liver function. This is the terminal elimination half-life the label reports for memantine itself; the label gives it as a range and does not narrow it further. Memantine is not a prodrug, and it has no long-lasting active metabolite to worry about: roughly 48% of a dose is excreted unchanged in urine, and the label describes the three metabolites it does form (the N-glucuronide conjugate, 6-hydroxy memantine, and 1-nitroso-deaminated memantine) as possessing only minimal NMDA-receptor antagonistic activity. Populations the label names: in older adults, the label states that the pharmacokinetics in young and elderly subjects are similar. In kidney impairment, the terminal elimination half-life is longer — increased by about 18% in mild, 41% in moderate, and 95% (roughly double) in severe renal impairment. In moderate liver impairment (Child-Pugh B), the terminal half-life increased by about 16%, with overall exposure unchanged; severe hepatic impairment has not been evaluated.
This is general information, not medical advice. It doesn’t tell you when a drug test would read negative (tests detect substances for different, often longer, windows) or when it’s safe to take another dose — ask your pharmacist or prescriber. Source: DailyMed — MEMANTINE HYDROCHLORIDE (memantine tablet, film coated), §12.3 Pharmacokinetics.
Drug class
May treat (source: NIH RxClass)
Dosage forms
Capsule, extended release, Kit and Tablet
The forms currently marketed in the U.S., per the FDA National Drug Code Directory.
Ways to save
Ask for the generic
Same active ingredient, far cheaper. Is there a generic? →
Request a 90-day supply
Bulk fills usually lower the per-dose price vs monthly refills.
Use copay cards
Manufacturer copay cards & patient-assistance programs — especially for brand drugs.
Compare alternatives
A same-class option may cost less. See alternatives →
Frequently asked questions
- What does Memantine Hydrochloride treat?
- Memantine Hydrochloride (Memantine Hydrochloride) may be used to treat alzheimer disease, based on NIH RxClass drug-classification data (conditions a drug may treat — not a verbatim copy of the FDA-approved label). This is general reference, not medical advice.
- How much does Memantine Hydrochloride cost?
- Nobody can tell you what you will pay — your price is set by your insurer's formulary, your deductible and the pharmacy's markup, and none of those are published. What IS published is what the pharmacy paid to acquire it: about $2.46 for 30, per the CMS NADAC survey. Treat that as the floor, not the quote — ask the pharmacist for the cash price as well as your copay, because for cheap generics the cash price often wins. Pharmacies pay less for a same-class option, Donepezil Hydrochloride — about $1.43 on the same basis.
- Is there a coupon or discount for Memantine Hydrochloride?
- pharmaranks is an independent ratings site, not a pharmacy — we don't issue coupons or sell Memantine Hydrochloride. To pay less, Memantine Hydrochloride is already a generic — usually the lowest-cost version — so the main levers are comparing cash prices between pharmacies and using a pharmacy discount-card service. Prices vary by pharmacy, insurance, and location, so always confirm at the counter. This is general reference, not medical or financial advice.
- Who makes Memantine Hydrochloride?
- Memantine Hydrochloride is marketed by Vitruvias. You can see Vitruvias's full profile, rating, and other products on pharmaranks.
- Is Memantine Hydrochloride a brand-name or generic drug?
- Memantine Hydrochloride is a generic medication; its active ingredient is Memantine Hydrochloride. Generics contain the same active ingredient as the brand-name original and are usually lower cost.
- Is Memantine Hydrochloride available over the counter?
- No. Memantine Hydrochloride is a prescription (Rx) medication in the US — you need a prescription from a licensed clinician (in person or via telehealth); it isn't sold over the counter. For some conditions there are OTC alternatives — ask your pharmacist.
- What forms does Memantine Hydrochloride come in?
- Memantine Hydrochloride is currently marketed as capsule, extended release, kit and tablet, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory.
- What class of drug is Memantine Hydrochloride?
- Memantine Hydrochloride is classified as n-methyl-d-aspartate receptor antagonist, per the FDA's Established Pharmacologic Class.
- Is Memantine Hydrochloride FDA-registered?
- Memantine Hydrochloride is on record with the U.S. FDA under application number ANDA213985. You can verify this on its official FDA label.
- Is Memantine Hydrochloride safe?
- There's no single safe-or-not verdict, and we don't yet have a composite recall-safety score for Memantine Hydrochloride. Review its FDA-label side effects and warnings below, and always consult a licensed professional.
- What are the side effects of Memantine Hydrochloride?
- Memantine Hydrochloride's side effects are taken directly from its FDA label. From the label: The most commonly observed adverse reactions occurring at a frequency of at least 5% and greater than placebo with administration of memantine hydrochloride extended-release capsules 28 mg/day were headache, diarrhea and dizziness. ( 6.1 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS,… Both common and serious reactions are documented in full on this page. This is general reference from the FDA, not medical advice — always consult a professional.
Clinical content sourced from the FDA label via openFDA (U.S. FDA). View the FDA label on DailyMed → Provided for general reference only — not medical advice. Always consult a licensed professional and the current prescribing information.
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