Your doctor says you have Alzheimers Disease.
But did he review your medications to be certain that some aren't suppressing acetylcholine, a chemical essential to learning and memory? And that is why it may appear you are in decline? Renowned researchers and health providers P.
Murali Doraiswamy, M.
D.
and Lisa P.
Gwyther, M.
S.
W.
of Duke University warn that so-called anticholinergic medications do exactly that--suppress the very brain chemical that Alzheimer's Disease medications act to increase.
Indeed, researchers who test memory medications often induce Alzheimer's Disease symptoms in healthy test subjects by giving them large amounts of such drugs.
It pays to be aware so you can ensure that your doctor is considering every possible cause of what you may believe to be age-related mental decline.
It may be the medications you take.
Who Is at Risk and What Do You Do? Anticholinergic drugs are very common.
In the U.
S.
, one in five people over the age of 65 is taking them.
Sometimes in the face of their doctor's offer of a substitute.
The dilemma is that many of them are very useful and even essential to health.
Determining which ones you can do without requires consultation with your doctor (or a specialist very familiar with memory impairment) and possibly a pharmacist.
This bit of investigation may make the difference between having an Alzheimer's Disease diagnosis or not.
Surely worth the effort.
Medications to Watch Out For Dr.
Doraiswamy points out that not all anticholinergic medications are equally problematic.
Some affect people in different ways, and while all suppress acetylcholine, some do so more than others.
When you learn which medications you take may be contributing to learning or memory problems, you and your health providers can then decide whether there are alternatives or perhaps even some you can do without.
Do not undertake this type of analysis or decision-making without medical advice.
Painkillers
But did he review your medications to be certain that some aren't suppressing acetylcholine, a chemical essential to learning and memory? And that is why it may appear you are in decline? Renowned researchers and health providers P.
Murali Doraiswamy, M.
D.
and Lisa P.
Gwyther, M.
S.
W.
of Duke University warn that so-called anticholinergic medications do exactly that--suppress the very brain chemical that Alzheimer's Disease medications act to increase.
Indeed, researchers who test memory medications often induce Alzheimer's Disease symptoms in healthy test subjects by giving them large amounts of such drugs.
It pays to be aware so you can ensure that your doctor is considering every possible cause of what you may believe to be age-related mental decline.
It may be the medications you take.
Who Is at Risk and What Do You Do? Anticholinergic drugs are very common.
In the U.
S.
, one in five people over the age of 65 is taking them.
Sometimes in the face of their doctor's offer of a substitute.
The dilemma is that many of them are very useful and even essential to health.
Determining which ones you can do without requires consultation with your doctor (or a specialist very familiar with memory impairment) and possibly a pharmacist.
This bit of investigation may make the difference between having an Alzheimer's Disease diagnosis or not.
Surely worth the effort.
Medications to Watch Out For Dr.
Doraiswamy points out that not all anticholinergic medications are equally problematic.
Some affect people in different ways, and while all suppress acetylcholine, some do so more than others.
When you learn which medications you take may be contributing to learning or memory problems, you and your health providers can then decide whether there are alternatives or perhaps even some you can do without.
Do not undertake this type of analysis or decision-making without medical advice.
Painkillers
- Darvon, Darvon w/aspirin, Darvon-N
- Indocin and Indocin-SR
- Talwin
- Naprosyn, Avaprox, Aleve
- Daypro
- Feldene
- Toradol
- Demerol
- Tigan (in high doses)
- Robaxin
- Soma
- Paraflex
- Skelaxin
- Flexeril
- Ditropan
- Cyclospasmol
- Elavil
- Limbitrol
- Triavil
- Sinequan
- Miltown, Equanil
- Xanax
- Halcion
- Dalmane
- Librium
- Limbitrol
- Librax
- Valium
- Doral
- Paxipam
- Tranxene
- All barbiturates except phenobarbitol (except when used to control seizures
- Mellaril
- Serentil
- Thorazine
- Norpace,Norpace CR
- Lanoxin
- Persantine
- Aldomet
- Aldoril
- Cordarone
- Norflex
- Ismelin
- Hylorel
- Cyclospasmol
- Vasodilan
- Macrodantin
- Cardura
- Diabinese
- Bentyl
- Levsin, Levsinex
- Pro-Banthine
- Donnatal
- Librax
- Chlor-Trimeton
- Benadryl
- Vistaril, Atarax
- Periactin
- Phenergan
- Polaramine