what is Memorall

[jayce00]

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[gaba101]

From Clinical Pharmacology online:

Huperzine A, Huperzia serrata
Cerebra™ | PharmAssure™ Memorall™



[ Classification ] [ Comments ] [ Indications ] [ How Supplied/Product Info ]
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CLASSIFICATION:

Nutritional Supplements
Nutraceuticals
Phytomedicinals




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INDICATIONS:

• Alzheimer's disease†
• dementia†



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COMMENTS:

NOTE: In the US, nutraceuticals are marketed under the Dietary Supplement and Health Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA). Consequently, scientific data supporting claimed benefit(s) are not always available for nutraceuticals as they are for traditional pharmaceuticals since nutraceuticals are not regulated as drugs. Consumers should also note that rigid quality control standards are not required for nutraceuticals and substantial variability can occur in both the potency and the purity of these products. Monographs on nutraceuticals are included in CP when reliable clinical data are available. The information presented below is condensed from the best clinical data we could find.
Description: Huperzia serrata is a club moss that has been used for centuries in Chinese medicine. It contains an alkaloid known as huperzine A (HupA). HupA has been reported to be effective in treating memory loss associated with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia. In China, huperzine A is known as "Qian Ceng Ta". In the US, Huperzine A is marketed in combination with vitamin E as the brand name Cerebra™. Other Huperzine A products are also available.
Actions: the alkaloid HupA binds very tightly to and inhibits acetylcholinesterase (AChE), thereby potentiating the actions of endogenous acetylcholine; binding of HupA to the enzyme is reversible; some analogs of HupA are even more potent inhibitors of AChE; in rat brain cortex experiments, concentrations of acetylcholine, dopamine, and norepinephrine all increased after administration of HupA (Zhu XD et al. 1995); other agents approved for treating Alzheimer's dementia (e.g., donepezil, tacrine) also inhibit AChE.
Uses/Documentation: the FDA gave permission to Nutrapharm Inc., a New York City company, to market Cerebra™ as a nutritional supplement to adults in their 50s, 60s, and 70s who are experiencing memory loss; some investigators have tested the drug as a treatment of patients exposed to nerve gas.
Contraindications/Precautions: NOTE: Nutraceuticals should be used cautiously in young children and pregnant females; this herb should not be used during pregnancy or in patients with hypertension.
Drug Interactions: unclear at this time; since this herb potentiates acetylcholine, it would seem illogical to use drugs with central anticholinergic properties concomitantly (e.g., benztropine, trihexyphenidyl). Also, concomitant use with other acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (e.g., tacrine, donepezil) cannot be recommended at this time; it is unknown if increases in acetylcholine related side effects would be potentiated by such combinations.
Adverse Reactions: Unclear at this time; nausea, dyspepsia, and dizziness have been reported in limited clinical trials.
Dosage: unclear at this time. Limited trials in various demetias have used an initial dose of 50 mcg PO twice daily; final dosage ranged from 200 mcg—400 mcg PO per day, given in divided doses.
Bioequivalence Issues: NOTE: Potency for nutraceutical products can vary substantially from manufacturer to manufacturer; consumers should not confuse the raw product (i.e., the moss) with the alkaloid; other compounds in the moss could be toxic. Some products may contain standardized or purified HupA extracts.
References:
•animal data: Zhu XD et al. J Neurosci Res 1995;41:828—35.
•animal data: Tang XC et al. J Neurosci Res 1989;24:276—85.
•clinical trial (Chinese): Xu SS et al. Chung Kuo Yao Li Hsueh Pao 1995;16:391—5.
•clinical trial (Chinese): Zhang RW et al. Chung Kuo Yao Li Hsueh Pao 1991;12:250—2.
•review: Hanin I et al. Ann NY Acad Sci 1993;695:304—6.
•review: Skolnick AA. JAMA 1997;277:776.

 

[confettiflyer]

Someone is trying to profit from the name "Adderall" and marketing "Memorall" to those who don't have the balls to fake a diagnosis or buy illicitly from friends/black market/Mexico.

I should come out with a male enhancement product and name it Viapro or Cialar

 

[jayce00]

ohh wow, so this drug is specifically for Alzheimer's disease or memory loss
my friend, a student, is taking this
so you can pretty much guess why

 

[Quiksilver]

MemorAll (brand name) is technically OTC however only distributed through physicians. It is for extra brain support (used by some anti-aging physicians now) most often for their patients. There is nothing in it harmful.
Your friend is completely safe. It's considered a supplement (liking it to vitamins). Hope this helps.

You are dead wrong. Supplements are not completely devoid of problems and issues. Its a AChE inhibitor similar to Aricept, Razodyne, Exelon. Meaning that it could potentially have all the same side effects as those drugs. I equate herbals as the wild west of pharmacy. A tablet can say that it has 100 mg of Supplement X but it can vary up to 25% per tablet. So you can be overdosing and underdosing all the time. Not to mention since the drug has not been studied extensively, there can be numerous drug-drug interactions and adverse events. Also since these are usually a part of a plant somewhere, they are ground up and put into a tablet or capsule. Who knows what those "inactive" ingredients are really doing.

You want an example of problems with these products, ever hear of Hydroxycut?
http://news.injuryboard.com/fda-warning-recall-of-hydroxycut-products.aspx?googleid=262300

Just because its given by a doctor does not mean its safe either. How many times have you heard or seen a doctor mess up and cause patient harm. There would be no such thing as pharmacists if their clinical judgement was so good all the time.

I don't understand why anyone would take anything that hasn't gone through enough research or shown enough benefit for the FDA to pass it for an indication.

 

[aboveliquidice]

MemorAll (brand name) is technically OTC however only distributed through physicians. It is for extra brain support (used by some anti-aging physicians now) most often for their patients. There is nothing in it harmful.
Your friend is completely safe. It's considered a supplement (liking it to vitamins). Hope this helps.

That little warning stating "this supplement has not been evaluated by the FDA. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease." should send off warning flags.

Just ask the kids ODing on daily vitamins + iron...

 

[Praziquantel86]

Kava Kava is a supplement, and last time I checked, it made your liver fall out. And ephedrine blows up your heart. And yohimbe blows up your...ego.

By the way, nice 3 year bump on this.

 

[Ackj]

I've heard that students are starting to abuse Aricept as a study drug, similar to what has been done with ADD meds for years. If this is drug is OTC it's probably a little easier to obtain. I'm not sure how effective these would be for retaining what you study, but for some people, they'll take any help they can get.

 

[aboveliquidice]

I've heard that students are starting to abuse Aricept as a study drug, similar to what has been done with ADD meds for years. If this is drug is OTC it's probably a little easier to obtain. I'm not sure how effective these would be for retaining what you study, but for some people, they'll take any help they can get.

Placebo works wonders...