Galantamine s used to treat mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia. Learn how to use the medication, its common side effects, special precautions to watch out for, and more.

What is this medication for?

Galantamine belongs to a class of medications known as acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. It is used to reduce the symptoms of mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia, such as:

• Difficulty in remembering recent events, activities, or the names of familiar people or things
• Poor concentration and judgement

It will not cure or stop the dementia from getting worse, but it may improve the ability to think in some patients and slow down the worsening of these symptoms.

Check with your healthcare professional if you are unsure why you are given this medication.

How should I take or use this medication?

• Follow the instructions on your medication label and take this medication as prescribed by your doctor.
• This medication should be taken with or after food. Galantamine comes in prolonged release capsules. Swallow the capsules whole. Do not break, cut, crush or open the capsules.
• Galantamine needs to be taken regularly for a few weeks before you feel its full effects. Therefore, you should not stop taking this medication even if there are no signs of improvement at the beginning.
• You may check with your doctor on how long you will have to be on this medication.
• Do not stop taking your medication without checking with your healthcare professional.

What should I do if I forget to take or use this medication?

• If you forget to take a dose, take it as soon as you remember. However, if more than half of the time to the next dose has passed, skip the missed dose and take the next dose at your usual timing.
• For example, for a medication to be taken once daily at 8am, and you missed your dose at 8am, skip the dose if it is after 8pm, and take your next dose at the usual timing at 8am the next day. Do not take two doses to make up for the missed dose.

If you forget to take Galantamine continuously for several days, speak with your doctor before restarting it. You may need to restart it at a lower dose.

What precautions should I take when taking or using this medication?

Inform your healthcare professional if: 

• You are allergic to this medication or any of the other ingredients of this medication
• You are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding. If you are pregnant and/or breastfeeding, your doctor would have discussed the potential benefits and side-effects with you and should you have further questions or concerns, do consult your doctor.
• You are taking any other medications (including those that can be bought without a prescription), supplements,  traditional medications and herbal remedies. Some of them may affect how this medication works or cause serious drug interactions.
• You have or have ever had:
  • Other drug allergies
  • Medical conditions such as:
    • Heart problems, slow or irregular heartbeat
    • Kidney or liver disease
    • Seizures (fits)
    • Respiratory diseases 
    • Stomach or intestinal ulcers
    • Difficulty passing urine or blockage of intestines

What are some common side effects of this medication?

• Drowsiness or feeling tired
  • Avoid driving or taking part in activities that require concentration
  • Discuss with your doctor if you can take your medication at a different time of the day
• Nausea or vomiting 
  • Take the medication with or after food
  • Take small but frequent meals and avoid fatty or spicy food
• Diarrhoea
  • Drink plenty of water to replace fluid loss
• Dizziness
  • Get up slowly from a sitting or lying down position
• Headache
• Loss of appetite or weight loss

Most of the side effects listed here will improve with time. Speak with your doctor if any of them continues, worsens or affects your daily life.

What are some rare but serious side-effects that I need to seek medical advice immediately?

The symptoms of a drug allergy include one or more of the following: 

• Swollen face/eyes/lips/tongue
• Difficulty in breathing
• Itchy skin rashes over your whole body

Rarely this medication may cause:

• Seizures (fits)
• Worsening of Parkinson's symptoms such as tremors 
• Severe stomach pain and vomiting of blood or material that looks like coffee grounds; bloody or black tarry stools (signs and symptoms of bleeding in the stomach or intestines)
• Fainting episodes or increased incidence of falling
• Seeing or hearing things that are not present (hallucinations)
• Slow heartbeat
• Fast or irregular heartbeat, fainting episodes (signs and symptoms of an abnormal heart beating rhythm (prolonged QTc interval))
• Anxiety, agitation or low mood

If you experience any of these side effects, you should stop your medication and inform your healthcare professional immediately.

What food or medication should I avoid when I take or use this medication?

Avoid drinking alcohol while taking Galantamine as it may cause too much sleepiness.

How should I store this medication?

Store in a cool and dry place, away from direct sunlight. Keep this medication away from children. 

How do I throw away this medication safely?

Pack this medication into a trash bag and seal it tightly before throwing it into the rubbish chute or bin.

Disclaimer

Please take note that the above is not a complete list of all possible side effects. If you have any concerns about your medication or if you have other side effects that you think are caused by this medication, please consult your doctor or pharmacist.

If you take more than the recommended dose, please seek medical advice immediately. The information provided on this page does not replace information from your healthcare professional. Please consult your healthcare professional for more information.

This article is jointly developed by members of the National Medication Information workgroup. The workgroup consists of cluster partners (National Healthcare Group, National University Health System and SingHealth), community pharmacies (Guardian, Unity and Watsons) and Pharmaceutical Society of Singapore. The content does not reflect drug availability and supply information in pharmacies and healthcare institutions. You are advised to check with the respective institutions for such information.

Last updated on Feb 2025