Before Using

Drug information provided by: Merative, Micromedex®

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For this medicine, the following should be considered:

Allergies

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Pediatric

Appropriate studies have not been performed on the relationship of age to the effects of donepezil in the pediatric population. Safety and efficacy have not been established.

Geriatric

Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of donepezil in the elderly.

Breastfeeding

There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding.

Drug Interactions

Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is not recommended. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with this medication or change some of the other medicines you take.

  • Bepridil
  • Cisapride
  • Dronedarone
  • Fluconazole
  • Ketoconazole
  • Levoketoconazole
  • Mesoridazine
  • Pimozide
  • Piperaquine
  • Posaconazole
  • Saquinavir
  • Sparfloxacin
  • Terfenadine
  • Thioridazine
  • Ziprasidone

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

  • Abiraterone Acetate
  • Acetophenazine
  • Aclidinium
  • Acrivastine
  • Adagrasib
  • Alcaftadine
  • Alfentanil
  • Alfuzosin
  • Amantadine
  • Ambenonium
  • Amdinocillin
  • Amdinocillin Pivoxil
  • Amifampridine
  • Amineptine
  • Aminophylline
  • Amiodarone
  • Amisulpride
  • Amitriptyline
  • Amitriptylinoxide
  • Amoxapine
  • Amphetamine
  • Ampicillin
  • Anagrelide
  • Anisotropine
  • Antazoline
  • Apomorphine
  • Aripiprazole
  • Aripiprazole Lauroxil
  • Arsenic Trioxide
  • Asenapine
  • Astemizole
  • Atazanavir
  • Atomoxetine
  • Atropine
  • Azatadine
  • Azelastine
  • Azithromycin
  • Azlocillin
  • Bacampicillin
  • Baclofen
  • Bedaquiline
  • Belladonna Alkaloids
  • Benperidol
  • Benzhydrocodone
  • Benzphetamine
  • Bepotastine
  • Bornaprine
  • Bromodiphenhydramine
  • Bromperidol
  • Brompheniramine
  • Buclizine
  • Bupivacaine
  • Buprenorphine
  • Bupropion
  • Buserelin
  • Butorphanol
  • Butriptyline
  • Butylscopolamine
  • Carbenicillin
  • Carbinoxamine
  • Ceritinib
  • Chlorambucil
  • Chloroquine
  • Chlorotrianisene
  • Chlorpheniramine
  • Chlorphenoxamine
  • Chlorpromazine
  • Cimetropium
  • Cinacalcet
  • Cinnarizine
  • Ciprofloxacin
  • Citalopram
  • Clarithromycin
  • Clemastine
  • Clemizole
  • Clidinium
  • Clofazimine
  • Clomipramine
  • Clothiapine
  • Cloxacillin
  • Clozapine
  • Cobicistat
  • Cocaine
  • Codeine
  • Conjugated Estrogens
  • Crizotinib
  • Cyclacillin
  • Cyclizine
  • Cyclobenzaprine
  • Cyclopentolate
  • Cyclosporine
  • Cyproheptadine
  • Dabrafenib
  • Darifenacin
  • Dasatinib
  • Degarelix
  • Delamanid
  • Demecarium
  • Desipramine
  • Deslorelin
  • Desvenlafaxine
  • Deutetrabenazine
  • Dexbrompheniramine
  • Dexchlorpheniramine
  • Dexmedetomidine
  • Dextroamphetamine
  • Dibenzepin
  • Dicloxacillin
  • Dicyclomine
  • Dienestrol
  • Diethylstilbestrol
  • Difenoxin
  • Dihydrocodeine
  • Dimenhydrinate
  • Dimethindene
  • Diphenhydramine
  • Diphenylpyraline
  • Disopyramide
  • Distigmine
  • Dixyrazine
  • Dofetilide
  • Dolasetron
  • Domperidone
  • Dothiepin
  • Doxepin
  • Doxylamine
  • Droperidol
  • Duloxetine
  • Ebastine
  • Echothiophate
  • Edrophonium
  • Efavirenz
  • Eliglustat
  • Emedastine
  • Encorafenib
  • Enflurane
  • Entrectinib
  • Epinastine
  • Eribulin
  • Erythromycin
  • Escitalopram
  • Esterified Estrogens
  • Estradiol
  • Estramustine
  • Estriol
  • Estrone
  • Estropipate
  • Ethinyl Estradiol
  • Ethopropazine
  • Etrasimod
  • Etravirine
  • Famotidine
  • Felbamate
  • Fentanyl
  • Fesoterodine
  • Fexinidazole
  • Fingolimod
  • Flavoxate
  • Flecainide
  • Floxacillin
  • Flunarizine
  • Fluoxetine
  • Fluphenazine
  • Fluvoxamine
  • Formoterol
  • Foscarnet
  • Fosphenytoin
  • Fostemsavir
  • Galantamine
  • Gatifloxacin
  • Gemifloxacin
  • Gepirone
  • Givinostat
  • Glasdegib
  • Glycopyrrolate
  • Gonadorelin
  • Goserelin
  • Granisetron
  • Guanidine
  • Halofantrine
  • Haloperidol
  • Hetacillin
  • Histrelin
  • Homatropine
  • Hydrocodone
  • Hydromorphone
  • Hydroquinidine
  • Hydroxyamphetamine
  • Hydroxychloroquine
  • Hyoscyamine
  • Ibutilide
  • Iloperidone
  • Imipramine
  • Indalpine
  • Inotuzumab Ozogamicin
  • Iprindole
  • Isoflurophate
  • Isoniazid
  • Isopropamide
  • Itraconazole
  • Ivabradine
  • Ivosidenib
  • Ketamine
  • Ketotifen
  • Lapatinib
  • Lefamulin
  • Lenvatinib
  • Leuprolide
  • Levocabastine
  • Levofloxacin
  • Levomilnacipran
  • Levorphanol
  • Lidocaine
  • Lindane
  • Lisdexamfetamine
  • Lithium
  • Lofepramine
  • Lofexidine
  • Loxapine
  • Lumefantrine
  • Macimorelin
  • Mebeverine
  • Mebhydrolin
  • Meclizine
  • Mefenamic Acid
  • Mefloquine
  • Melitracen
  • Melperone
  • Mepenzolate
  • Meperidine
  • Mestranol
  • Methadone
  • Methamphetamine
  • Methantheline
  • Methdilazine
  • Methicillin
  • Methixene
  • Methotrimeprazine
  • Methylphenidate
  • Metopimazine
  • Metronidazole
  • Mezlocillin
  • Mifepristone
  • Milnacipran
  • Mirtazapine
  • Mizolastine
  • Mobocertinib
  • Moricizine
  • Morphine
  • Moxifloxacin
  • Nafarelin
  • Nafcillin
  • Nalbuphine
  • Nalidixic Acid
  • Nefazodone
  • Nelfinavir
  • Neostigmine
  • Niaprazine
  • Nilotinib
  • Norfloxacin
  • Nortriptyline
  • Octreotide
  • Ofloxacin
  • Olanzapine
  • Olopatadine
  • Ondansetron
  • Opipramol
  • Orphenadrine
  • Osilodrostat
  • Osimertinib
  • Oxacillin
  • Oxaliplatin
  • Oxatomide
  • Oxybutynin
  • Oxycodone
  • Oxymorphone
  • Ozanimod
  • Pacritinib
  • Paliperidone
  • Panobinostat
  • Paroxetine
  • Pasireotide
  • Pazopanib
  • Peginterferon Alfa-2b
  • Penicillin G
  • Penicillin V
  • Pentamidine
  • Pentazocine
  • Perazine
  • Periciazine
  • Perphenazine
  • Phenindamine
  • Pheniramine
  • Phenobarbital
  • Phenylpropanolamine
  • Phenyltoloxamine
  • Physostigmine
  • Pimavanserin
  • Pinaverium
  • Pipamperone
  • Piperacillin
  • Pipotiazine
  • Pirenzepine
  • Pitolisant
  • Pivampicillin
  • Pizotyline
  • Polyestradiol Phosphate
  • Ponesimod
  • Primidone
  • Probucol
  • Procainamide
  • Procaine
  • Prochlorperazine
  • Promazine
  • Promestriene
  • Promethazine
  • Propafenone
  • Propantheline
  • Propicillin
  • Propiverine
  • Propizepine
  • Propoxyphene
  • Protriptyline
  • Pyrilamine
  • Quetiapine
  • Quinestrol
  • Quinidine
  • Quinine
  • Quizartinib
  • Ranolazine
  • Relugolix
  • Remifentanil
  • Ribociclib
  • Rilpivirine
  • Risperidone
  • Ritonavir
  • Rivastigmine
  • Scopolamine
  • Selpercatinib
  • Sertindole
  • Sertraline
  • Sevoflurane
  • Sibutramine
  • Siponimod
  • Sodium Phosphate
  • Sodium Phosphate, Dibasic
  • Sodium Phosphate, Monobasic
  • Solifenacin
  • Sorafenib
  • Sotalol
  • Succinylcholine
  • Sufentanil
  • Sulbenicillin
  • Sulpiride
  • Sultamicillin
  • Sunitinib
  • Tacrine
  • Tacrolimus
  • Tamoxifen
  • Tapentadol
  • Telaprevir
  • Telavancin
  • Telithromycin
  • Temocillin
  • Terbinafine
  • Tetrabenazine
  • Theophylline
  • Thiethylperazine
  • Thiopropazate
  • Thioproperazine
  • Thonzylamine
  • Tianeptine
  • Tibolone
  • Ticarcillin
  • Timiperone
  • Tiotropium
  • Tolterodine
  • Toremifene
  • Tramadol
  • Trazodone
  • Triclabendazole
  • Trifluoperazine
  • Triflupromazine
  • Trimeprazine
  • Trimipramine
  • Tripelennamine
  • Triprolidine
  • Triptorelin
  • Tropicamide
  • Trospium
  • Umeclidinium
  • Valethamate
  • Vandetanib
  • Vardenafil
  • Vemurafenib
  • Venlafaxine
  • Vilanterol
  • Vinflunine
  • Voclosporin
  • Voriconazole
  • Vorinostat
  • Zuclopenthixol

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines may cause an increased risk of certain side effects, but using both drugs may be the best treatment for you. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

  • Ramelteon

Other Interactions

Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Using this medicine with any of the following is usually not recommended, but may be unavoidable in some cases. If used together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use this medicine, or give you special instructions about the use of food, alcohol, or tobacco.

  • Bitter Orange
  • Grapefruit Juice

Other Medical Problems

The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this medicine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

  • Asthma, history of or
  • Lung disease, history of or
  • Peptic ulcers, or history of or
  • Seizures, or history of or
  • Urinary tract blockage or difficult urination—Donepezil may make these conditions worse.
  • Heart problems—Donepezil may have unwanted effects on heart rate.
  • Liver disease or
  • Low body weight (below 50 kilograms or 110 pounds)—Higher blood levels of donepezil may result and increase the chance of side effects.

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Portions of this document last updated: May 01, 2024

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