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Over-the-Counter Drugs and Dementia Risks

  • Writer: Patricia Faust
    Patricia Faust
  • Jul 4, 2019
  • 4 min read


I have been speaking to groups of older adults for awhile now. I cover the topic of medications when I am speaking about memory. All memory loss is not caused by dementia. Recovering memories can be very challenging when you have been on certain medications for awhile. This is always a complete surprise and somewhat unsettling when my audience hears this for the first time. I explain this situation by reviewing aging body/aging brain with them.


As we get older we notice physical changes because we can see them. But the ‘inside’ of our aging bodies is undergoing slower metabolism. This results in the inability to process and clear our medications in a timely manner. Our liver, the clearinghouse organ, and our kidneys, another clearing organ, might be functioning slower due to a life of wear and tear. The medications we take one day might not be cleared from our bodies by the time we are due to take that medication again the next day. This results in accumulating amounts of medication remaining in our system. That can cause many problems, depending on what the medication is.

We might have gained weight and the medication we have been taking for years might not be enough to deliver the same health benefits. In the same vein, we might have lost a significant amount of weight and our long-standing meds might now be too strong for us. We are overdosing (accidentally) because the dose is too high and our metabolism is too low.


Many medications have a direct impact on our brain and all of these aging changes can possibly mimic dementia. Multiple medications compound the issue and you could swear that this person is truly demented by their loss of cognitive status and general behavior.


We have a gatekeeper for our medications in the form of our pharmacist. If your pharmacist sees any discrepancies, notices multiple prescriptions coming in for the same diagnoses or understands how aging may play a role in metabolizing your prescriptions, they can alert you and your doctor of the problem.


But the situation is quite different with OTC’s (over the counter) medications. We rarely give them the respect they deserve in our healthcare. Even though they are not prescribed by your doctor they are still very potent medications. If you don’t alert your pharmacist of the routine OTC’s you take with your other medication, some serious side effects may occur. And, as the rest of this paper indicates, there are groups of these drugs that can cause memory loss. This is not a problem to be taken lightly.


The Potential Adverse Effects of Certain OTC Drugs

There was a study report released in the past couple of years that discussed the increasing risk of dementia from the use of certain over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. We don’t give OTC medications the attention they deserve because we don’t need a prescription to buy them. This study revealed that certain hay-fever, sleep aids, and treatments for bladder control can increase the risk for developing dementia.

The brain health section of the AARP website (aarp.org) published the findings of this study. The study followed 63434 participants, aged 65 years and older. These participants were monitored for 7 years. OTC drugs like Nitrol (sleep aid), Benedryl (antihistimine), and Ditropan (bladder control) were the class of drugs under study. The results demonstrated that of this group, 637 developed Alzheimer’s disease and 160 developed other forms of dementia. 54% of those taking a drug had an increased risk of dementia as opposed to a control group that didn’t take any of these medications. The non-use group did not increase their risk for dementia.

If you take these drugs daily for 3 years you can increase your risk of dementia by 60%.


The Role of Anticholinergics

These drugs are anticholinergics and they work by blocking acetylcholine – the neurotransmitter compromised in Alzheimer’s disease. These specific medications slow the neurotransmitter acetylcholine which plays a large role in memory retention. Many doctors are unaware of the anti-cholinergic properties in commonly prescribed medications – resulting in a very big risk for those people who have been diagnosed with MCI –Mild Cognitive Impairment. Very few medications are labeled or classified as anticholinergic. The fear is that these drugs will exacerbate or trigger Alzheimer’s disease. And, many of these drugs are taken by older adults who may be more vulnerable to Alzheimer’s disease.

The class of benzodiazepines (Valium, Xanax) received an update also. It was believed that after stopping these drugs the brain would be clear again. New studies indicate that this might not be true. These drugs can cause confusion and slow down mental processes. If these drugs are discontinued before the 3-month mark, the risk for dementia stays low.


There are safe alternatives to these medications. It is important to talk with your doctor about health issues you are experiencing. These drugs can interfere with other prescription medications as well. Over-the-counter drugs are nothing to guess about. Don’t self-diagnose or self-medicate. The cost can be higher than just financial.

(aarp.org)

References:

Neel, A.B. (2017). Caution! These 10 drugs can cause memory loss. Retrieved July 4, 2018 from http://www.aarp.org

Sauer, A. (June 13, 2015). How memory loss can be caused by over-the-counter medication. Retrieved July 3, 2018 from https://www.alzheimers.net/3-23-15-memory-loss-and-medication/

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March was an unusual month for me.  Normally I work on articles, give presentations and generally just stay tuned to what is going on in the field of aging.  This month I “learned” a lot.  Last year I learned how to write a book.  At the time I took the course I thought it would just be a natural extension of all the writing I had done over the years.  WRONG!!  The actual writing of the book was the easy part.  Putting it together into a book was difficult for me.  The course gave me step by step lessons on constructing a book.  Then editing and formatting were just as challenging.  On June 7 last year the book was published!  It was one of the most satisfying days of my writing career. 

Naturally, when you self-publish, you do not have a publisher promoting the book and getting it in the right categories for best sales on Amazon.  That was crushing because I really didn’t know to appropriately market it.  I am a brain health person!  In December of last year, I purchased a marketing program that is based on statistics.  I am technical minded and so this approach made sense to me.  The course is almost completed.  Can’t wait to see if it improves sales!

The next step I am looking at is recording an audiobook.  This is another venture I knew nothing about.  But I am already tagged on Facebook for marketing of audio book programs.  Facebook picks up everything.  Now my husband was creative director for an advertising agency and when I told him I purchased another class – he couldn’t believe it.  “This was my business.  I know how to do recordings, why didn’t you ask me?” Well, I knew he was an expert in that business, but this audiobook needs to meet all the criteria that Amazon requires for publication.  So, he can take care of the recording part of this audiobook, and I will navigate the process of meeting Amazon’s requirements.  We worked on the book together like this. 

Then I talked with some coaching experts on the viability of starting group teaching programs.  Reading The Boomer Brain book and implementing the Brain Healthy Lifestyle have two entirely different outcomes.  This lifestyle is important to maintaining high cognitive function throughout the later years of our lives.  Look for updates as to when I will roll this program out.

My last learning endeavor was attending a two-day bootcamp for Speakers.  I am really excited about what I learned there.  That is a late this year or next year project, but it is one I am really looking forward to.

 

What Is Happening in April?

The American Society on Aging is having their annual conference in Orlando Florida April 21-24.  This is the largest multidisciplinary conference on aging and the annual conference for Members of ASA.  I have attended a number of these conferences throughout the years, and it is consequential.  Keynote speakers and special events are focused on combating ageism in our society.  Although this is a professional meeting, the attendees come from all aspects of aging services.  They have their work cut out for them this year!

April is Stress Awareness Month.  We should be aware of stress every month and understand how we can break the stress cycle.  These are stressful times, and we need to protect ourselves

Here is a positive one “April is National Volunteer Month”.  When I am working with new retirees who don’t know what to do, I talk to them about volunteering. It is important to have a purpose after you leave the workforce.  There are so many nonprofits who need help in all aspects of their organizations.  It is a perfect way to give back.

Finally – It was Opening Day for the Cincinnati Reds – the oldest major league team in the nation.  Cincinnati takes that responsibility seriously.  There is always an Opening Day Parade through downtown to the Ball Park.  Huge crowds line the streets and every year there is talk of making it an official holiday.  Schools and employers look the other way when there is an empty desk.  No matter what the outcome of the game is, there is so much joy, and you can feel that energy.  I am fortunate that I get to experience that.  We all need some joy right now. 

Enjoy your April.

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