Amitriptyline:
I'm still weaning myself off this medication and every time I do down another step my head can surely feel it, but I can see the end in sight. Who knew it would be so hard to wean off this medication that I was prescribed to help prevent migraines. I found another article on how this medication, especially when used for more than three years, really is very bad for your brain. The higher the dose and the longer you are on the medication the more likely you can be to get dementia. I already have a bad memory and dementia runs in my family so it was important for me to get off this med as soon as I found out that it isn't a good choice for me personally.
I'm still weaning myself off this medication and every time I do down another step my head can surely feel it, but I can see the end in sight. Who knew it would be so hard to wean off this medication that I was prescribed to help prevent migraines. I found another article on how this medication, especially when used for more than three years, really is very bad for your brain. The higher the dose and the longer you are on the medication the more likely you can be to get dementia. I already have a bad memory and dementia runs in my family so it was important for me to get off this med as soon as I found out that it isn't a good choice for me personally.
. In two separate large population studies, both benzodiazepines (a category that includes medications for anxiety and sleeping pills) and anticholinergics (a group that encompasses medications for allergies and colds, depression, high blood pressure, and incontinence) were associated with an increased risk of dementia in people who used them for longer than a few months. In both cases, the effect increased with the dose of the drug and the duration of use.
When the researchers examined medication use, they found that people who used anticholinergic drugs were more likely to have developed dementia than those who didn't use them. Moreover, dementia risk increased along with the cumulative dose. Taking an anticholinergic for the equivalent of three years or more was associated with a 54% higher dementia risk than taking the same dose for three months or less.
Anticholinergic drugs block the action of acetylcholine. In the brain, acetylcholine is involved in learning and memory. In the rest of the body, it stimulates the autonomic nerves—those that regulate contractions of blood vessels, airways, and our cardiovascular and digestive systems. The strongest anticholinergic drugs include some antihistamines, tricyclic antidepressants, medications to control overactive bladder, and sleeping pills.
