Memantine: study card

Memantine — NMDA receptor antagonist. Study the mechanism, listed uses and warnings from the US label on one sourced card.

Generic name: Memantine
Class: NMDA receptor antagonist
Mechanism: A low-to-moderate-affinity uncompetitive (open-channel) NMDA receptor antagonist. Its therapeutic effect is postulated to relate to blocking NMDA channels; persistent glutamate activation is a hypothesis in Alzheimer symptoms, and memantine has not been shown to prevent or slow neurodegeneration.
Used for: Moderate to severe Alzheimer's dementia
Common side effects: Headache; Diarrhea; Dizziness
Warnings: Raised urine pH increases memantine levels
Interactions: Urine-alkalinizing drugs (e.g., sodium bicarbonate); Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors; Other NMDA antagonists

Brand questions use only name pairings verified against the linked product source. Unverified pairings are withheld from these questions; the other study content remains available.

Read the source label ↗

Label date: 20260901 · For learning, not clinical decisions. US label and brand information; always consult the current source.

Source snapshot checked: 2026-10-21. The source document and selected fields were compared. The complete card has not had an independent clinical review.

Practice

Pronunciation

Memantine: MEM-an-teen

Pronunciation is shown for the US English generic name.

Body system

Neurology · 18 Drug cards

Compare with related cards

Lamotrigine

Same body system: Neurology

Mechanism: Precise mechanism unknown; proposed inhibition of voltage-sensitive sodium channels, stabilizing membranes and reducing glutamate release.

On both cards: Common side effects — Headache; Dizziness

Only on the Lamotrigine card: Used for — Adjunctive treatment of the specified seizure types from age 2; Conversion to monotherapy for partial-onset seizures from age 16 when switching from one of the specifically listed antiseizure medicines; Maintenance of bipolar I disorder in adults after standard treatment of an acute episode · Common side effects — Diplopia; Ataxia; Nausea · Warnings — Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis; Multiorgan hypersensitivity (DRESS); Cardiac rhythm abnormalities; blood dyscrasias · Interactions — Estrogen-containing oral contraceptives; Carbamazepine; Valproate

An item counts as shared only when both cards use the same wording. If a card does not list an item, that is not a statement that the effect never occurs.