Orlando, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — More than 55 million people have dementia worldwide. It’s a disease that robs you of your ability to think, remember, and behave normally. Researchers don’t know exactly what causes it, but some studies have linked certain medications to a higher risk of dementia. Prescription Risk
They are supposed to make you feel better, but did you know some of the medicines in your cabinet could be putting you at risk for dementia?
You may want to use anticholinergic medicines, which includes Benadryl, with caution! This class of drugs is often used to treat allergies, asthma, Parkinson’s, overactive bladder, motion sickness, and more. They block a substance in your brain that’s involved in learning and memory. In one study, people who used anticholinergic drugs daily for three years or more had nearly a 50 percent increased risk of dementia.
Opioids are another class of drugs that could up your chances of dementia. In a study that looked at a million people with chronic pain, opiate users had a 15 percent higher risk of developing dementia. Long-term use of the indigestion medicine omeprazole, which is in a class of drugs called PPIs, can also cause problems. Studies in mice have shown PPIs may increase the amount of beta-amyloid in your brain, which can trigger dementia. Lastly, a group of sedative drugs called benzodiazepines, which includes Valium and Xanax, are also thought to raise your risk of dementia if they’re taken for a long time.
It’s important to always talk to your doctor before stopping any medicines, especially drugs like opioids and benzodiazepines. If you stop using these meds suddenly, you may experience severe side effects.
Contributors to this news report include: Julie Marks, Producer; Bob Walko, Editor.
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Sources:
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/dementia
https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/24/health/dementia-risk-drug-study/index.html
