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memantine vs trimethoprim

Side-by-side comparison of memantine and trimethoprim. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.

minor Known Drug Interaction

Cases of interactions with other OCT2 substrates, memantine and metformin, have also been reported.

Recommendation: Your doctor should monitor you for increased side effects from memantine while taking these together.

Drug Class
memantine NMDA Receptor Antagonist
trimethoprim Dihydrofolate Reductase Inhibitor
Type
memantine Prescription
trimethoprim Prescription
Summary
memantine

Memantine is a medicine used to treat moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease. It may help with memory and thinking.

trimethoprim

This medicine contains sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim. It is an antibiotic that fights bacteria in your body.

What It Treats
memantine

Memantine is used to treat moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's is a brain disease that slowly gets worse over time. Memantine may help improve memory, awareness, and the ability to perform daily tasks.

trimethoprim

This medicine can treat urinary tract infections, ear infections in children, and bronchitis in adults. It also treats shigellosis, a type of diarrhea. It can also treat or prevent Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia, and treat traveler's diarrhea.

How It Works
memantine

Memantine is an NMDA receptor antagonist. This means it blocks the effects of a chemical in the brain called glutamate. By blocking glutamate, memantine may help protect brain cells from damage.

trimethoprim

This medicine works by stopping bacteria from making folic acid. Bacteria need folic acid to grow and multiply. By blocking folic acid production, the medicine kills the bacteria.

Common Side Effects
memantine
  • Dizziness
  • Headache
  • Confusion
  • Constipation
trimethoprim
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Loss of appetite
  • Skin rash
  • Hives
FAERS Reports
memantine
  • Falling 937
  • Death 853
  • Confusion 707
  • Tiredness 605
  • Seeing or hearing things that are not there 581
trimethoprim
  • Nausea 945
  • Diarrhoea 848
  • Headache 835
  • Malaise 815
  • Pyrexia 721
Serious Warnings
memantine

If you have conditions that make your urine less acidic (more alkaline), memantine levels in your blood may increase. This could increase the risk of side effects. Talk to your doctor if you have kidney problems or take medicines that affect urine pH.

trimethoprim

Rarely, sulfonamide drugs like this one have caused severe reactions. These include Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, liver damage, and blood problems. Tell your doctor right away if you have a fever, rash, blisters, mouth sores, or signs of infection.

Pregnancy
memantine

It is not known if memantine can harm an unborn baby. Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is also not known if memantine passes into breast milk, so talk to your doctor if you are breastfeeding.

trimethoprim

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. This medicine may not be safe for your baby. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of taking this medicine while breastfeeding.

How to Read This memantine vs trimethoprim Comparison

memantine is classified in the NMDA Receptor Antagonist drug class, while trimethoprim sits within the Dihydrofolate Reductase Inhibitor class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.

Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, memantine has 3,683 submissions while trimethoprim has 4,164. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume, not per-patient risk, so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. These two drugs have a known minor interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to both drugs use the same pathway in the kidneys to leave the body. this can cause memantine to build up in the blood because the kidneys are busy processing the trimethoprim.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.

A table cannot substitute for clinical judgment. Effectiveness, tolerability, drug-drug interactions with your other medications, kidney and liver function, pregnancy status, insurance formulary, and price all feed into a decision that only a licensed prescriber can make responsibly. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This page is for educational purposes only, is not medical advice, and should not be used to self-switch between memantine and trimethoprim - always consult your physician or pharmacist first.

Important: This comparison is for informational purposes only. Drug effects vary between individuals. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist for personalized medical advice.