Method and composition for administering an NMDA receptor antagonist to a subject

1. A method of administering memantine to a human subject in need thereof, comprising 10-100 mg of:

orally administering to the human subject once per day over multiple days a sustained release oral dosage form comprising memantine or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof and a component that sustains release of the memantine or salt thereof, wherein a therapeutically effective daily dose of the memantine or salt thereof is administered from initiation of therapy without prior dose escalation of memantine, and wherein the subject has a condition selected from the group consisting of Alzheimer's disease, dementia, Parkinson's disease, and neuropathic pain.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sustained release component comprises a sustained release coating.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sustained release component comprises a sustained release matrix.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sustained release component comprises a sustained release coating and a sustained release matrix.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sustained release oral dosage form further comprises a delayed release component.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the dosage form comprises a capsule or a tablet.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the condition is dementia.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the dementia is Alzheimer's disease dementia.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the dosage form comprises 10-50 mg of memantine or salt thereof.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the dosage form comprises at least 22.5 mg of memantine or salt thereof

11. In a method of avoiding side-effects in a human subject initiating memantine therapy, the improvement comprising orally administering to the subject once per day over multiple days a sustained release oral dosage form comprising 10-100 mg of memantine or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof and a component that sustains release of the memantine or salt thereof, wherein a therapeutically effective daily dose of the memantine or salt thereof is administered from initiation of therapy without prior dose escalation of memantine, and wherein the subject has a condition selected from the group consisting of Alzheimer's disease, dementia, Parkinson's disease, and neuropathic pain.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the sustained release component comprises a sustained release coating.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the sustained release component comprises a sustained release matrix.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the sustained release component comprises a sustained release coating and a sustained release matrix.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the sustained release oral dosage form further comprises a delayed release component.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the dosage form comprises a capsule or a tablet.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the condition is dementia.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the dementia is Alzheimer's disease dementia.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the dosage form comprises 10-50 mg of memantine or salt thereof.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the dosage form comprises at least 22.5 mg of memantine or salt thereof.