7 Common Medications That Can Cause Memory Loss

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

Sorts: 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 gentle, short-term reminiscence loss that will get higher as soon as the drug is stopped.

There’s additionally analysis that implies long-term benzodiazepine use could enhance the chance of dementia, which is a gaggle of mind circumstances that have an effect on reminiscence, cognition, and habits in older adults.

Options: In case you’re taking a benzodiazepine and are experiencing reminiscence issues, discuss to your physician about potential options.

The options fluctuate relying on the situation you are taking them for. For instance, should you’re taking a benzodiazepine for anxiousness, you and your physician could contemplate switching your therapy to a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). You can too talk about non-drug therapies, equivalent to cognitive behavioral remedy (CBT).

Sorts: Widespread 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 problem remembering issues, paying consideration, or concentrating. This may increasingly go away over time as your physique will get used to the remedy, however different occasions it could not.

The drowsiness and focus uncomfortable side effects attributable to anticonvulsants can have an effect on your short-term reminiscence, making it arduous to soak up and retailer new data. These uncomfortable side effects could also be extra doubtless should you take excessive doses or a number of varieties of anti-seizure medicines.

Options: Switching to a special anticonvulsant could assist with reminiscence loss, as some medication are much less more likely to trigger drowsiness or different cognitive uncomfortable side effects than others. Different methods to deal with seizures embrace dietary interventions, surgical procedure, and deep mind stimulation.

Sorts: Examples of opioids embrace:

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

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

They might additionally change the degrees of sure chemical substances in your physique which can be concerned with cognitive operate. Analysis has additionally proven that individuals who use opioids have the next danger of creating dementia than individuals who do not use them.

Options: Options to opioids could embrace nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication (NSAIDs), Tylenol (acetaminophen), anticonvulsants, antidepressants, topical ache medicines, and muscle relaxers.

Sorts: TCA medicines embrace:

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

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

Additionally they have anticholinergic results, 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 beneficial dosage.

Options: In case you’re experiencing reminiscence issues whereas taking a TCA, discuss to a health care provider. They’ll advocate different therapies. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) do not have the identical anticholinergic results as TCAs, nonetheless, the analysis is combined on whether or not they may cause reminiscence loss.

Sorts: 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 danger of dementia, with FGAs having the next danger than SGAs.

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.

Sorts: Sleeping drugs that will have an effect on reminiscence embrace:

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

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

Options: As an alternative of sleeping drugs, 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.

Sorts: 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 medicines can enhance the chance of dementia. They’ll additionally negatively have an effect on sure components of cognition, equivalent to working reminiscence, which is the power to recollect data over a brief time period.

Options: In case you’re experiencing reminiscence loss whereas taking an incontinence drug, discuss to your physician. They’ll decide in case your remedy is the trigger and talk about different methods to deal with your overactive bladder signs. This may embrace switching to totally different medicines, equivalent to Myrbetriq (mirabegron) or Gemtesa (vibegron), or implementing bladder retraining and pelvic ground strengthening workout routines.

Different components could put you at larger danger for medication-related reminiscence issues. These embrace:

• Taking larger dosages of the medicines
• Taking the medicines long-term
• Being of older age
• Taking a number of medicines directly

In actual fact, a 2021 examine discovered that older adults who took at the least three medicines with cognitive uncomfortable side effects had been extra more likely to report confusion and reminiscence loss.