Prescription drugs are the reason for more than 100,000 deaths in a year, and it can also cause an additional 1.5 million people who experience certain side effects that can be so serious they will have to be hospitalized.

The fourth main cause of death in the USA is the adverse drug. Each and every medication has some risks, and one of those side effects is memory loss.

These 3 Types Of Drugs Are The Biggest Reason For Memory Loss

If you use some prescription medication, the chances are that this medication goes in one of these 3 categories of drugs, and they can be the reason for other cognitive problems:

Sleeping Pills

Prescription sleeping pills are the main cause of memory loss. It is a popular drug, and its name is Ambien; some people call it the amnesia drug. Certain users have problems with sleepwalking, night terrors, hallucinations, and sleep driving.

Prescription sleeping pills can place you in a state that is similar to being in a state of coma or passed out drunk while it bypasses the restorative sleep your brain needs. You can try different ways of falling asleep.

The “Anti” Drugs

If you use a drug whose name starts with “anti,” including antipsychotics, antibiotics, antihistamines, antihypertensives, antidepressants, or antispasmodic, it can mean that it has a huge effect on your acetylcholine levels.

Acetylcholine is the main neurotransmitter that is involved with learning and memory. Low acetylcholine can be the reason for having symptoms that are similar to dementia, such as delirium, mental confusion, hallucinations, blurred vision, and memory loss.

Statin Drugs

These medications for lowering cholesterol can be the most dangerous group of drugs that will have a negative effect on your brain. Almost ¼ quarter of our brain is comprised of cholesterol, which is important for learning, memory, learning, and fast thinking. This means that all these drugs will have a negative effect on your health.

Medications Which Can Cause Memory Loss

These are the 20 medications that can cause memory loss with possible side effects:

  1. For Parkinson’s — atropine, scopolamine, or glycopyrrolate
  2. For epilepsy — Dilantin or phenytoin
  3. Painkillers — heroin, codeine, morphine
  4. Sleeping pills — Lunesta, Ambien, Sonata
  5. Benzodiazepines — Ativan, Valium, Dalmane, Xanax
  6. Naproxen
  7. Steroids
  8. Quinidine
  9. Antibiotics (quinolones)
  10. Interferons
  11. Insulin
  12. Antihistamines
  13. Methyldopa
  14. High blood pressure drugs
  15. Beta-blockers (especially the ones that are used for glaucoma)
  16. Lithium
  17. Antipsychotics — Haldol, Mellaril
  18. Barbiturates — Nembutal, Amytal, phenobarbital, Seconal
  19. Chemotherapy drugs
  20. Tricyclic antidepressants

Another list made of 12 popular over-the-counter drugs that are anticholinergic:

  1. Unisom (insomnia)
  2. Tagamet (acid reflux)
  3. Dramamine (motion sickness)
  4. Zantac (acid reflux)
  5. Excedrin PM (pain and insomnia)
  6. Tylenol PM (insomnia and pain)
  7. Pepcid Ac (acid reflux)
  8. Benadryl (allergies)
  9. Advil PM (pain and sleep)
  10. Sominex ( insomnia)
  11. Nytol (insomnia)
  12. Claritin (allergies)

What to do

If you take some of these medications and you think it has an effect on your memory, you should talk with your doctor.

Try and work with him to find a much better solution for you: use different prescriptions and make new healthy lifestyle choices.

In the meantime, you should reduce the load on the brain and try and begin with proactive steps, including getting the physical exercise your brain needs, following a brain-healthy diet as well and taking proper brain supplements.

You should give and create the healthiest environment for your brain so you can be mentally sharp even though you consume certain medications.

Resources:

www.aarp.org

www.aplaceformom.com