[Warning] Even LOW doses of these meds could WRECK your brain!
Show the slightest sign of cognitive impairment… and your doc will start throwing drugs at you.
But according to some STARTLING research, those memory lapses… and moments of brain fog… could’ve been BROUGHT ON by any number of prescription meds you might ALREADY be taking.
I’m talking about mood meds… pee pills… and anti-seizure drugs.
As it turns out, they just might put you on the fast track to developing dementia.
That’s right — mainstream drug-pushers could be GIVING you dementia!
And then buckle up… because they’ll try to TREAT your cognitive decline with some of the SAME drugs that CAUSED it!
Here’s how to get out of this vicious cycle.
Which came first… the drug or the dementia?
Researchers out of the UK have recently dug deeper into drugs that have been linked to dementia for YEARS now.
They’re called “anticholinergics” – and they work by blocking the brain chemical acetylcholine.
Sabotaging this particular neurotransmitter may APPEAR to have some benefit on the surface…
But the fact is, chronic cholinergic depletion could WRECK your brain.
And according to an observational study involving folks 55 years and older, the STRONGER the drug… the more SEVERE the damage.
It turns out that there are 4 classes of strong anticholinergic drugs that pose the greatest risk in potentially making you DEMENTED.
They are…
- tricyclic antidepressants
- antipsychotics, often given to older folks with delirium and dementia
- anticonvulsants, used to stabilize mood and relieve pain, and
- antimuscarinics for overactive bladder and Parkinson’s
KNOWN short-term side effects of these drugs include confusion and memory loss.
But over the long term… the impact is more alarming.
Take any one of these types of drugs every day… for just three years… and your odds of developing dementia can spike by 50%.
And in the study, most folks weren’t just taking ONE anticholinergic drug…
They were taking SIX or more of them!
Now, that statistic is based on taking the minimum effective dose recommended for seniors.
In real life, most older folks are taking MUCH higher doses.
Some are even MAXING out on how much they can take!
There’s another snag in the research…
The study’s authors admit that these drugs could’ve been prescribed FOR early signs of dementia (though none of the patients had been “officially” diagnosed).
And that’s true – because ALL of the above drugs associated with the skyrocketing risk are GIVEN to patients with signs of dementia!
Now, scientists have only just started to “research” the effect of deprescribing these drugs.
Don’t WAIT for them… and don’t take any CHANCES.
If you’re taking any drug with a “high anticholinergic burden”… or that’s considered a “high-potency” or “strong” anticholinergic…
Work with your doc to get off of it NOW.
It’s likely that there are alternatives that will work – and not just a weaker anticholinergic drug or a non-anticholinergic drug.
How about NO DRUGS AT ALL?!
A doc well-versed in integrative medicine can recommend natural pain relievers… mood boosters… and urinary support formulas…
As well as ways to manage motor issues linked to Parkinson’s.
To breaking the cycle,
Melissa Young
