There is no current treatment that reverses dementia, and no caregiver should be told otherwise. There are medications that slow some symptoms in some types of dementia for some periods of time, and there are a small number of newer drugs targeting the underlying disease in early Alzheimer’s. This hub is a routing page for HelpDementia.com’s coverage of the drugs, side effects, and the research pipeline — written for caregivers who need to make sense of what the clinician just prescribed.
Nothing on this hub is medical advice. If you are weighing whether to start, change, or stop a medication for someone in your care, that decision belongs with their prescribing clinician.
Start here
- The top 5 dementia drugs, ranked by what the evidence actually shows
- The newest FDA-approved treatments for Alzheimer’s and what they do
- Common causes of dizziness in older adults and how clinicians work it up
Cholinesterase inhibitors (donepezil and the rest)
Donepezil (brand name Aricept), rivastigmine (Exelon), and galantamine (Razadyne) are the most commonly prescribed dementia medications. They do not stop the disease, but they can modestly improve cognition and daily function for some people, especially in mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s.
- What happens if donepezil is stopped suddenly
- Long-term side effects of donepezil in older adults
- What is the maximum safe dose of donepezil?
- Side effects of donepezil and how to manage them
- Rivastigmine side effects, explained without alarm
Other commonly prescribed medications
- Tardive dyskinesia and the medication recently approved for it
- Statins and the brain — what the research actually says
- Pain medications and how they affect cognition in older adults
- Long-term effects of trazodone in older adults
Diet, supplements, and brain health
- Blueberries and brain health — what 20 years of research actually shows
- Cashews and dementia prevention — the honest answer
- The science behind brain “detox” (and what the term really means)
- Honey and cognitive function — ancient remedy or modern science?
- Which foods are most strongly linked to dementia risk
Other hubs you might need next
The articles linked from this hub are informational and not medical advice. See our Editorial Policy for how we research and review content. Last reviewed May 30, 2026.