Memory and Medications

One of the most important things I do for patients with memory problems isn’t giving them medicines. It’s actually taking them away.
Some common medications, even those that you can buy without a prescription, can have a negative effect on your memory and alertness. And some medicines that are completely safe in younger people have bad effects in older persons. One of the best things you can do for your memory is go over your medications with someone who knows about medicines and how they affect older persons.
Medications that may have a negative effect on memory are those that have anticholinergic effects. They act to decrease the effectiveness of a brain chemical called acetylcholine. Acetylcholine is a brain chemical that is essential in memory. The part of the brain with the most nerve cells that use this chemical is one of the first affected when someone has Alzheimer’s disease.

Probably the most commonly used medication used by older persons that has anticholinergic effects is the antihistamine Benadryl,® It’s a perfectly good medicine, but in its generic form diphenhydramine it’s in many over-the-counter sleep medicines. If you have memory problems and take this medicine regularly, you might want to try stopping it and see how your memory functions without it.
Another group of medications that can affect memory are the benzodiazepines. These are commonly-used medicines for anxiety and sleep such as Xanax,® Ativan,® Klonopin,® and many others. They can affect memory in a different way from diphenhydramine. If you’re taking one of these medicines regularly, it usually isn’t a good idea to stop taking it suddenly. You might want to talk to your doctor about alternative medicines for anxiety and sleep.