Arazil (Donepezil Hydrochloride)
Complete patient guide for uses, dosage, side effects, and safety information
Prescription RequiredQuick Facts
What Is Arazil Used For?
Arazil contains donepezil hydrochloride, which belongs to a group of medicines called acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. These medications work by increasing levels of a brain chemical called acetylcholine.
Primary Uses
Arazil is used to treat mild, moderate and severe Alzheimer’s disease, also called dementia of the Alzheimer’s type. It helps improve memory and thinking capacity in people with this condition.
How It Works
Arazil works by increasing the level of acetylcholine, a chemical in the brain that is important for memory and learning. While it won’t cure Alzheimer’s disease, it can help slow the progression of symptoms.
Good to know: While Arazil won’t cure Alzheimer’s disease, it should help your memory and improve your thinking capacity.
How to Take Arazil
Take Arazil exactly as prescribed by your doctor. It’s important to follow the dosing schedule and continue taking it even if you don’t see immediate improvements.
Dosage Instructions
The usual starting dose is one 5mg tablet each day, taken at bedtime. After one month, your doctor will assess how you’re responding and may increase your dose to one 10mg tablet daily. Swallow tablets whole with a full glass of water – don’t split them. You can take Arazil with or without food. It may take several weeks to see effects, so don’t be discouraged if improvement isn’t immediate.
What If You Miss a Dose?
If you forget to take a tablet, just take one tablet the following day at the usual time, then continue as normal. If you forget to take your medicine for more than one week, call your doctor before taking any more.
Important: Never take a double dose to make up for a missed dose – this may increase your chance of side effects.
Available Tablet Strengths
Side Effects
Like all medications, this medicine can cause side effects. Most are mild and temporary, but some require medical attention.
Common Side Effects
These side effects occur relatively frequently and usually don’t require emergency care:
- Heartburn, indigestion, or stomach pain
- Headache or dizziness
- Difficulty sleeping
- Unusual tiredness
- Feeling sick, diarrhea, vomiting
- Loss of appetite, weight loss
- Bruising
- Muscle cramps, joint pain
- Tingling or numbness of hands or feet
- Depression, unusual dreams
- Agitation, aggressive behavior
- Difficulty urinating or urinating more often
- Changes in sexual drive, particularly increase
Seek immediate medical attention if you experience:
- Seeing, feeling or hearing things that aren’t there
- Trembling and shaking of hands and fingers, shuffling walk, arm and leg stiffness
- Bending of the back forward and to one side (Pisa syndrome)
- Severe upper stomach pain with nausea, vomiting and fever
- Heart rhythm changes (prolonged QT interval)
- Fast irregular heartbeat, fainting (Torsade de Pointes)
- Breathing difficulties
- Allergic reactions (rash, itching, hives, swelling, wheezing)
- Fainting with slow or irregular heartbeat
- Vomiting blood or coffee-ground material
- Black sticky bowel movements
- Convulsions or fits
- Weakness, shortness of breath, yellowing skin, dark urine, stomach pain
- Sudden fever, sweating, muscle stiffness, altered consciousness
Important Warnings
Before starting Arazil, tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medications to ensure it’s safe for you.
Who Should Not Take Arazil
Don’t use Arazil if you’re allergic to donepezil hydrochloride, piperidine derivatives, or any ingredients in the tablets. Don’t use if the packaging is damaged or the expiry date has passed.
Medical Conditions to Discuss
Tell your doctor if you have heart problems (irregular or slow heartbeat, heart failure, heart attack history), prolonged QT interval or family history of this condition, low magnesium or potassium levels, stomach problems (especially ulcers), seizures or epilepsy, asthma or lung disease, memory loss from stroke, or tendencies toward aggressive behavior. Also mention if you’re planning surgery requiring general anesthesia.
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
Check with your doctor if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding before taking Arazil.
Children: Arazil is not recommended for use in children as safety and effectiveness have not been established.
Drug Interactions
Many medications can interact with Arazil and affect how it works. Always tell your doctor about all medicines you’re taking.
- Other dementia medicines
- Medicines for stomach cramps, Parkinson’s disease, or travel sickness
- Muscle relaxants
- General anesthesia medicines
- Anti-fungal medicines (ketoconazole)
- Antibiotics (clarithromycin, erythromycin, levofloxacin, moxifloxacin, rifampin)
- Dexamethasone (corticosteroid)
- Heart rhythm medicines (amiodarone, sotalol, quinidine)
- Depression medicines (citalopram, escitalopram, amitriptyline, fluoxetine)
- Psychosis medicines (pimozide, sertindole, ziprasidone)
- NSAIDs for pain and inflammation
- Blood pressure and heart rate medicines
- Asthma medicines
- Diarrhea medicines
- Epilepsy medicines (carbamazepine, phenobarbital, phenytoin)
Alcohol & Driving
Arazil can affect your ability to drive safely, and Alzheimer’s disease itself may also impact driving ability.
Alcohol
The source material does not provide specific information about alcohol interactions with Arazil. Consult your doctor about alcohol use.
Driving and Operating Machinery
Be careful driving or operating machinery until you know how Arazil affects you. This medicine may cause fatigue, dizziness and muscle cramps, especially when starting treatment or increasing the dose. Additionally, Alzheimer’s disease may affect your ability to drive safely – ask your doctor whether it’s safe for you to continue driving.
Temperature Regulation
The source material does not provide specific information about temperature regulation effects.
Storage
Keep tablets in their original blister pack until it’s time to take them – removing them early may affect how well they keep. Store in a cool, dry place where temperature stays below 25°C. Don’t store in the bathroom, near sinks, in cars, or on window sills. Keep out of reach of children. Take expired or unwanted medicine to any pharmacy for safe disposal.
Overdose Information
If you think you’ve taken too much Arazil, seek urgent medical attention immediately. Call the Poisons Information Centre (Australia: 13 11 26), contact your doctor, or go to the nearest hospital Emergency Department. Do this even if you don’t feel unwell or show signs of poisoning.
Frequently Asked Questions
It may take several weeks for Arazil to take effect, so don’t be discouraged if you don’t see improvement right away. Your doctor will assess your response after one month.
Yes, Arazil can be taken with or without food. Take it at bedtime with a full glass of water.
Don’t stop taking Arazil or change the dosage without checking with your doctor first. This medicine helps control your condition but doesn’t cure it, so it’s important to keep taking it even if you feel well.
If you forget a dose, just take one tablet the following day at the usual time and continue as normal. Never take a double dose. If you forget for more than one week, call your doctor before taking any more.
Arazil is specifically used to treat Alzheimer’s disease, which commonly affects elderly patients. However, your doctor will assess whether it’s appropriate for your individual situation and monitor for side effects.
Yes, weight loss and loss of appetite are listed as common side effects of Arazil. Speak to your doctor if these side effects worry you.
Yes, always remind any doctor, dentist, or pharmacist you visit that you’re taking Arazil. If you’re having surgery, tell the surgeon or anesthetist as it may affect other medicines used during surgery.
Important Disclaimer
This information is intended for general educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider or pharmacist before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or emergency services immediately.