7 Common Medications That Can Cause Memory Loss

Some generally used drugs have been linked to reminiscence points and extreme forgetfulness.

Varieties: Examples of benzodiazepines embrace:

• Ativan (lorazepam)
• Xanax (alprazolam)
• Valium (diazepam)
• Restoril (temazepam)

Impact on reminiscence: Benzodiazepines are recognized to have an effect on reminiscence operate. Particularly, they’ll trigger delicate, short-term reminiscence loss that will get higher as soon as the drug is stopped.

There may be additionally analysis that means long-term benzodiazepine use could enhance the chance of dementia, which is a gaggle of mind situations that have an effect on reminiscence, cognition, and conduct in older adults.

Alternate options: Should you’re taking a benzodiazepine and are experiencing reminiscence issues, discuss to your physician about potential alternate options.

The alternate options fluctuate relying on the situation you take them for. For instance, in the event you’re taking a benzodiazepine for nervousness, you and your physician could think about switching your remedy to a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). You can even talk about non-drug therapies, comparable to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

Varieties: Frequent examples of anti-seizure medication embrace:

• Lamictal (lamotrigine)
• Topamax (topiramate)
• Tegretol (carbamazepine)
• Vimpat (lacosamide)
• Keppra (levetiracetam)

Impact on reminiscence: As a result of anti-seizure medication work by calming mind exercise, they’ll have an effect on regular mind operate. This may increasingly end in issue remembering issues, paying consideration, or concentrating. This may increasingly go away over time as your physique will get used to the medicine, however different occasions it might not.

The drowsiness and focus negative effects brought on by anticonvulsants can have an effect on your short-term reminiscence, making it onerous to soak up and retailer new data. These negative effects could also be extra doubtless in the event you take excessive doses or a number of sorts of anti-seizure drugs.

Alternate options: Switching to a distinct anticonvulsant could assist with reminiscence loss, as some medication are much less prone to trigger drowsiness or different cognitive negative effects than others. Different methods to deal with seizures embrace dietary interventions, surgical procedure, and deep mind stimulation.

Varieties: Examples of opioids embrace:

• Oxycontin (oxycodone)
• Vicodin (hydrocodone/acetaminophen)
• MS Contin (morphine)
• Percocet (oxycodone/acetaminophen)
• Dilaudid (hydromorphone)

Impact on reminiscence: Opioids are recognized to intrude with the hippocampus, part of the mind concerned in reminiscence and studying.

They could additionally change the degrees of sure chemical substances in your physique which are concerned with cognitive operate. Analysis has additionally proven that individuals who use opioids have a higher risk of developing dementia than individuals who do not use them.

Alternate options: Alternate options to opioids could embrace nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), Tylenol (acetaminophen), anticonvulsants, antidepressants, topical ache drugs, and muscle relaxers.

Varieties: TCA drugs embrace:

• Elavil (amitriptyline)
• Pamelor (nortriptyline)
• Silenor (doxepin)
• Tofranil (imipramine)

Impact on reminiscence: TCAs alter the degrees of sure chemical substances within the mind, comparable to serotonin and norepinephrine.

Additionally they have anticholinergic effects, that means TCAs block acetylcholine, a chemical messenger concerned in reminiscence and studying. These mechanisms can result in reminiscence impairment, even when the TCA is taken on the really helpful dosage.

Alternate options: Should you’re experiencing reminiscence issues whereas taking a TCA, discuss to a physician. They’ll advocate various therapies. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) haven’t got the identical anticholinergic results as TCAs, nevertheless, the analysis is blended on whether or not they could cause reminiscence loss.

Varieties: Examples of FGAs embrace:

• Benadryl (diphenhydramine)
• Chlor-Trimeton (chlorpheniramine)
• Dramamine (dimenhydrinate)
• Phenergan (promethazine)

Examples of SGAs embrace:

• Zyrtec (cetirizine)
• Allegra (fexofenadine)
• Claritin (loratadine)

Impact on reminiscence: Analysis exhibits antihistamines are linked to an elevated threat of dementia, with FGAs having a better threat than SGAs.

Alternate options: Whereas FGAs and SGAs could each enhance the chance of dementia, the chance is decrease with SGAs since they do not cross into the mind as simply. Your physician can advocate whether or not an SGA is acceptable for you.

Varieties: Sleeping capsules that will have an effect on reminiscence embrace:

• Lunesta (eszopiclone)
• Sonata (zaleplon)
• Ambien (zolpidem)

Impact on reminiscence: A 2023 research confirmed that sleeping medication elevated the chance of dementia in individuals who had been white. One other research from 2021 discovered that sleeping capsules can negatively influence potential reminiscence, or the flexibility to recollect to do one thing sooner or later.

Alternate options: As an alternative of sleeping capsules, melatonin could assist with insomnia. There are additionally healthful sleep and way of life habits that may make it simpler to go to sleep and keep asleep.

Varieties: Overactive bladder anticholinergics can embrace:

• Sanctura (trospium)
• Ditropan (oxybutynin)
• Enablex (darifenacin)
• Vesicare (solifenacin)
• Detrol (tolterodine)

Impact on reminiscence: Analysis has proven that overactive bladder anticholinergic drugs can enhance the chance of dementia. They’ll additionally negatively have an effect on sure elements of cognition, comparable to working reminiscence, which is the flexibility to recollect data over a brief time period.

Alternate options: Should you’re experiencing reminiscence loss whereas taking an incontinence drug, discuss to your physician. They’ll decide in case your medicine is the trigger and talk about different methods to deal with your overactive bladder signs. This will embrace switching to totally different drugs, comparable to Myrbetriq (mirabegron) or Gemtesa (vibegron), or implementing bladder retraining and pelvic floor strengthening exercises.

Different elements could put you at increased threat for medication-related reminiscence issues. These embrace:

• Taking increased dosages of the drugs
• Taking the drugs long-term
• Being of older age
• Taking a number of drugs without delay

In truth, a 2021 research discovered that older adults who took not less than three drugs with cognitive negative effects had been extra prone to report confusion and reminiscence loss.