PlainPill

Donepezil vs Memantine for memory

Short answer: For memory, more users report improvement with Donepezil — 100% of 7 reports, versus 73% of 22 for Memantine.

Donepezil has 221 meta-analyses and 406 randomized trials on PubMed; Memantine has 236 and 311.

Based on 21 reports about Donepezil and 274 about Memantine. Not medical advice.

Donepezil
Medication
Memantine
Medication
Users say it helped74%helped4 reports · few reports54%helped101 reports · high confidence
Verdict
Mostly positive
Mixed
ResearchAResearch: StrongAResearch: Strong
Meta-analyses / RCTs221 / 406236 / 311
Mainly used for
Mood
% reporting improvement
100% (2)95% (41)
Focus
% reporting improvement
100% (3)81% (32)
Memory
% reporting improvement
100% (7)73% (22)
Anxiety
% reporting improvement
—88% (25)
Pain & inflammation
% reporting improvement
—60% (5)
Common side effectshypotension, demotivation, anhedonia, heart palpitationsdizziness, dissociation, insomnia, confusion
Typical dose reportedNot listedNot listed
Donepezil
Latest review conclusion

ChEIs, memantine, and GV-971 all can slow the progression of AD but have different effects on respective assessments. Donepezil and GV-971 were relatively well tolerated.

Medicine (Baltimore), 2024 ↗
What a user said
“This is by far the number 1 nootropic in the world in my eyes. Nothing even comes close to this one.”
Full Donepezil profile →
Memantine
Latest review conclusion

ChEIs, memantine, and GV-971 all can slow the progression of AD but have different effects on respective assessments. Donepezil and GV-971 were relatively well tolerated.

Medicine (Baltimore), 2024 ↗
What a user said
“I feel like I have all the positives of Adderall (focus, motivation, mood increase) without any noticeable downsides. No crash, no anxiety, no cardiac issues.”
Full Memantine profile →

Related comparisons

Percentages come from first-hand user reports and are not clinical outcomes. Talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or combining anything. How we rate