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Aricept is a prescription medicine containing donepezil hydrochloride, an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor. It is approved for dementia of the Alzheimer type, with efficacy shown in mild, moderate, and severe Alzheimer disease. Aricept comes as film-coated tablets in 5 mg, 10 mg, and 23 mg strengths and orally disintegrating tablets in 5 mg and 10 mg strengths.
read more about aricept ...Donepezil reversibly inhibits acetylcholinesterase, the enzyme that breaks down acetylcholine. This increases acetylcholine concentrations at cholinergic synapses in the brain. The medicine does not alter the underlying course of Alzheimer disease, but higher cholinergic activity is associated with symptomatic effects on cognition and daily function in treated patients.
Aricept is approved for dementia of the Alzheimer type. Clinical efficacy has been demonstrated across mild, moderate, and severe disease. The 5 mg and 10 mg doses are used in mild to moderate disease, while patients with moderate to severe disease can receive doses up to 23 mg daily after appropriate titration.
Treatment starts at 5 mg once daily in the evening. The 10 mg dose is used after at least four to six weeks at 5 mg. For moderate to severe disease, 23 mg daily is considered only after at least three months at 10 mg. Aricept is taken with or without food, and the 23 mg tablet is swallowed whole.
Aricept can slow heart rate and contribute to fainting or heart block. Other concerns include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach bleeding, weight loss, seizures, bladder outflow problems, and breathing effects in people with asthma or obstructive lung disease. The 23 mg dose is linked with more nausea, vomiting, and weight loss than lower doses.
Yes. Aricept contains donepezil hydrochloride, an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor used for dementia of the Alzheimer type.
Aricept is taken once daily in the evening, shortly before bedtime, with or without food.
No. The 23 mg tablet should be swallowed whole and should not be split, crushed, or chewed.
No. Aricept treats symptoms associated with Alzheimer dementia but does not reverse the underlying disease process.
ARICEPT (donepezil hydrochloride) Prescribing Information. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/getFile.cfm?setid=98e451e1-e4d7-4439-a675-c5457ba20975&type=pdf. Date Accessed September 14, 2026.
DailyMed - ARICEPT (donepezil hydrochloride) tablet, film coated and ARICEPT ODT tablet, orally disintegrating. https://www.dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=98e451e1-e4d7-4439-a675-c5457ba20975. Date Accessed September 14, 2026.
Donepezil. MedlinePlus. https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a697032.html. Date Accessed September 14, 2026.
Donepezil. StatPearls. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK513257/. Date Accessed September 14, 2026.
FDALabel - Aricept and Aricept ODT (donepezil hydrochloride). https://nctr-crs.fda.gov/fdalabel/ui/spl-summaries/criteria/116786. Date Accessed September 14, 2026.