Hello everyone. This is my first post on the Alzheimer's forum. My mother has been diagnosed with dementia. Her neurologist tried her on Namenda, but her prescription plan only approves it for those in the moderate to severe stages. They said there was not evidence to support her being at that level yet, so coverage was denied. She was switched to Aricept. At first, she occasionally remarked about an upset tummy, but it did not seem to be too much of a problem for her and we thought the Aricept was helping hold her where she was for a while. She has been on the Aricept for about five months. Lately, she complains of stomach problems qute a bit, often refusing to go out to eat with relatives and friends. This was something she used to enjoy and do frequently. She also seems depressed a good deal of the time. Does anyone have a similar experience with Aricept? I would have expected the stomach upsets to be getting milder, not worse for the amount of time she has been on the medication. The neurologist suggested switching her dose until bedtime instead of in the morning. As a side note, it does not seem to have helped her as much over the last six weeks, either. Her doctor thinks she will be needing assisted living before fall. Thankfully, there is a lovely facility here in town, and a group of her friends are currently living there. I dread the change, and my sister and I feel it will be a major challenge getting her to agree. We are trying to keep her in her home as long as possible. My sister is there with her when she herself is not at work, and relatives and friends frequently check on Mother during the day. Thanks for any input or advice you can offer.