Despite the fact that we all use them almost on a daily basis, prescription drugs are responsible for more than 100 000 deaths annually. Additionally, they put more than a million and a half people in hospital due to complications of side-effects, which means they aren’t exactly safe for our health. In fact, many of the patents for these drugs are rushed to approval, so there’s no time for appropriate testing, which makes them unsuitable for our health. Many of these drugs can harm the function of our organs including our brain, leading to memory loss.
The top 3 medications that cause memory loss
The side-effects of the drugs you can see below can be so severe to harm the brain and cause memory loss. Here’s what drugs you should avoid to keep your brain and memory sharp:
“Anti” drugs
Antidepressants, antihistamines, antibiotics, antispasmodics, antihypertensives and antipsychotics are all dangerous for your brain. These drugs directly affect the function of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that plays a vital role in our memory and cognition. Most of these drugs can be had over-the-counter, which makes them widely available and all the more dangerous.
Sleeping pills
Short and long-term memory loss is a common side-effect of sleeping pills. All sleeping pills have been found to cause some kind of cognitive problem as they suppress the activity of a variety of brain cells. These pills reduce our alertness and judgment, which is why you shouldn’t drive or operate heavy machinery under their influence. Besides the memory loss, sleeping pills can also cause blackouts when people are unable to remember past events due to damage to the brain cells.
Statins
Statins are usually taken against high cholesterol levels and have been related to a host of health problems including memory loss. Patients on statins have reported feeling dizzy and confused when under their influence and some have even reported short-term memory loss.
- Medications that cause memory loss
- Here’s a list of medications that have been related to memory loss:
- Benzodiazepines (Ativan, Xanax, Valium)
- Epilepsy drugs
- Painkillers (codeine, morphine)
- Parkinson’s disease drugs (atropine, scopolamine)
- Quinidine
- Naproxen
- Sleeping pills (Ambien, Sonata, Lunesta)
- Beta blockers
- Methyldopa
- Antihistamines
- Steroids
- Antibiotics
- Interferons
- Hypertension drugs
- Barbiturates
- Tricyclic antidepressants
- Chemotherapy
- Insulin
- Lithium
The most common signs of memory loss caused by these drugs are sudden mood changes, difficult following orders and directions, forgetting common words, getting lost often and asking for same questions. If you’ve noticed any of these symptoms, you need to visit a doctor. Most of the side-effects are temporary and will stop once you’re off the drugs. Furthermore, once you’re off them, we suggest adding some brain-boosting foods into your diet in order to improve the function of this vital organ and prevent further memory loss.