Memantine is a medication used to slow the progression of moderate to severe Alzheimers disease, especially for people who are intolerant of or have a contraindication to AChE (acetylcholinesterase) inhibitors.
It has been associated with a modest improvement, with small positive effects on cognition, mood, behavior, and the ability to perform daily activities in moderate to severe Alzheimers disease. The medication has also been investigated as a possible augmentation strategy for depression in bipolar disorder.
One preclinical study on monkeys showed that memantine was capable of inducing a PCP like intoxication.
Because of its very long biological half life, memantine was previously thought not to be recreational, although a few cases of sporadic recreational use have been described. A study examining self reported use of memantine on the social network Reddit showed that the drug was used recreationally and as a nootropic.
