News Memory Loss And Dementia Can Be Caused By Over-the-counter Drugs Including Some Antidepressant

[Queen Boudica]

Interesting article. "Numerous drugs have been shown to produce mild cognitive impairment (MCI). They may create or aggravate Alzheimer's-type symptoms.

Most of the drugs that cause MCI have a property called "anti-cholinergic." They inhibit activity of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which plays a critical role in memory and cognitive function."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/leo-galland-md/memory-loss-drugs-_b_822245.html

 

[Nam]

Yes. I know this! Actually was connecting a bunch of dots with my symptoms lately. My doc upped my Wellbutrin, a antichlorogenic (there's differing reports on this. Wiki has it on their list) twice over a span of two months.

Last week, pain in my chest, tingling in the thumb with left arm pain. Heartburn and digging pain in between my shoulder blades. Adrenal dumps were happening at weird times. Looked up symptoms, heart attack. Ppffft. After a while, I considered going to the ER. Several days go by. The heartburn was the worst. Finally happened to find a forum that mentioned the vagus nerve causing symptoms. The nerve connected with all my symptoms. Then the connection between the increase of Wellbutrin with the fact that acetylcholine is crucial for the vagus nerve to work properly was huge. I got choline and complex b the next day. I kid you not, in 25 minutes my heartburn is gone. Almost all of the symptoms subsided. Just the tingling remains.

Much better. I'm a believer in choline. I will take it for a long time. Now I can't tell if it's the increase of Wellbutrin or the choline that has helped my mood. Rose up high enough out of depression to a have memory. It doesn't happen often. And that is currently processing. Ironic that you posted this.

I want to tell everyone about it!

 

[Queen Boudica]

Oh even more interesting about stimulation of the Vagus nerve

http://antianxietywaves.com/deal-with-anxiety-vagus-nerve/

Thanks @Nam

apart from the picture of the annoying perfect blonde (doubt stimulating my Vagus nerve would have such a dramatic effect that I would be transformed to look like her)

 

[Nam]

Singing. That stimulates the vagus nerve. I need to get back into that. Singing has always helped me. Ironically, belting out Broadway has helped me paint. I just thought it was weird. It's science!

 

[SeaQuel]

@Lizio thank you for posting this. I've been concerned that my medication is resulting in my memory loss/forgetfulness (MCI). I'm not old enough for this to be an issue, and yet it is- from the medication, I think. I couldn't figure out from the article whether these symptoms go away when you are off the medication or whether the medication can cause long-term/permanent damage.

 

[J_trustno1]

I'm pretty sure, I am heading my way to memory loss. I have been on and off Paraoxietine for 11 years from the age of 16. I was given seroquel with a hope that it'll help with negative thinking but it never worked. Yes, almost all of us have taken Amoxcillin. Oh well, it couldn't get any better could it?

 

[Queen Boudica]

I think with the antibiotic you use it so infrequently it would be ok. It is the long term continuous use like antidepressants but there are non anti-cholinergic antidepressants.

My son is on antihistamines because of his eczema and asthma. Some are anti-cholinergic and some like zyrtec which my son takes are not.

I'd certainly be wary if there is a history of dementia in the family

 

[ms spock]

There are a whole host of things that you can do to bring down the risks of this stuff. Ruminating and worrying about it won't help. You will become a self fulfilling prophecy. There is also the thing of confirmation bias.

It is important to know this stuff but not to freak out over it.