Galantamine

Also called Reminyl, Razadyne

Galantamine is a prescription acetylcholinesterase inhibitor first isolated from snowdrop bulbs. Trials have examined it mainly for mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease.

Evidence
AStrong evidence
Studied dose
4-12mg
Safety score
Verified references
1 study

How it is thought to work

Galantamine reversibly inhibits acetylcholinesterase and also acts as an allosteric potentiator of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. It crosses the blood-brain barrier.

Availability

Galantamine is prescription-only, legally restricted, or not sold as a lawful dietary supplement in many jurisdictions, so we do not list places to buy it. Legal status of Galantamine by country.

What the studies found

Mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's: grade A, strongALucid dreaming (anecdotal): grade C, limitedC
2 benefits are graded: 1 strong (A), 1 limited (C). 1 of the A grades has no verified study cited yet.
Claimed benefitGradeBasis
Mild-to-moderate Alzheimer'sAGraded A, but no verified study is cited for this claim yet.Multiple RCTs.
Lucid dreaming (anecdotal)CPopular for REM-stage dream induction.

Each benefit is graded on its own; a substance can have strong evidence for one effect and little for another. What the grades mean.

Dose and timing

Studied dose range
Studied dose range: 4-12 mg4 mg12 mg051015

Doses used in the research on file, taken as 1-2 doses. Not a recommendation.

Listed time course
Onset about 1 hourOnset about 1 hourHalf-life 7 hoursHalf-life 7 hours30 min1 h3 h6 h12 h

Logarithmic time scale. Individual metabolism varies.

Galantamine dosage record in full

Safety and interactions

Recorded side effectHow oftenSeverity
Nausea / vomitingcommonmoderate
Bradycardiauncommonmoderate

Side effects in detailInteraction checker

History

Soviet pharmacologist Mashkovsky isolated galantamine from the bulbs of the Caucasian snowdrop (Galanthus woronowii) in the 1950s. It was used in Eastern Europe for myasthenia gravis and polio before being studied for Alzheimer's disease. Janssen launched it as Reminyl (later Razadyne) in the early 2000s.

References

  1. Galantamine for lucid dreaming and REM sleep (LaBerge). 2018. PubMed 30089135

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Galantamine: quick answers

How strong is the evidence for Galantamine?
The overall grade on file is A (strong). 2 claimed benefits are graded separately in the table above. 1 of the benefit grades of A have no verified study cited yet. The entry cites 1 study.
What dose of Galantamine has been studied?
The range on file is 4-12 mg (1-2 doses). It describes doses used in research, not a recommendation.
How long does Galantamine take to work and how long does it last?
Listed onset: about 60 minutes. Listed half-life: about 7 hours. Individual metabolism varies.
What are the side effects of Galantamine?
Recorded side effects: Nausea / vomiting (common), Bradycardia (uncommon). Safety score 3/5.

Compared with other substances

Show 1
ComparisonGradeClass
Galantamine vs Alpha-GPCACholinergic

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