Commonly Used Drugs Linked To Dementia Even At Low Dosage
A new study in the University of Washington provides strong evidence that certain popular drugs may increase the risk of dementia in older adults. The drugs share some common mechanisms within key areas of the brain but are used primarily as ingredients in over-the-counter sleep, cough, cold, and allergy medicines as well as in the treatment of an overactive bladder and depression. Drugs And Dementia The most commonly used drug linked to dementia is diphenhydramine, which is used in many popular products such as Benadryl, Nytol Sominex, Theraflu, Triaminic Allergy, etc. It is also implicated in drugs containing chlorpheniramine (Aller-Chlor); oxybutynin (Ditropan) and tolterodine (Detrol) for overactive bladder; and tricyclic antidepressants, such as doxepin or amitriptyline.1 Background Data Acetylcholine is a critical brain chemical involved in the transmission of nerve...