20
&
September 2014
Drugs That Can Cause
Memory Loss
By Angela S. Hoover,
Staff Writer
Several commonly prescribed
drugs may cause memory loss as
a side-effect. If you currently take
one of the drugs below and are suffering more common memory loss,
you may wish to discuss it with
your doctor.
Anti-anxiety drugs (benzodiazepines) are prescribed for
anxiety disorders, agitation, delirium, muscle spasms and to prevent
seizures. They are sometimes
used to treat insomnia
and anxiety symptoms
of depression due to
their sedative effects.
Common drugs in this
class are: Alprazolam
(Xanax), chlordiazepoxide (Librium), clonazepam (Klonopin), diazepam (Valium), flurazepam
(Dalmane), lorazepam (Ativan),
midazolam (Versed), quazepam
(Doral), temazepam (Restoril)
and triazolam (Halcion).
Benzodiazepines dampen activity
in key parts of the brain, including those involved in the transfer of
events from short-term to long-term
memory.
Cholesterol-lowering
drugs (Statins) are used to treat
high cholesterol. These include:
Atorvastatin (Lipitor), fluvastatin
(Lescol), lovastatin (Mevacor),
pravastatin (Pravachol), rosuvastatin (Crestor) and simvastatin (Zocor). Drugs that
lower blood levels of cholesterol may impair memory
and other mental processes
by depleting brain levels of
cholesterol. In the brain, these
lipids are vital to the formation
of connections between nerve
cells – the links underlying
memory and learning. The
brain contains a quarter
of the body’s cholesterol.
A 2009 study published in
the journal Pharmacotherapy
found that three out of four
people using these drugs
experienced adverse cogni-
tive effects “probably or definitely
related to” the drug. It also found
that 90 percent of those who stopped
statin therapy reported improvements
in cognition, sometimes within days.
In February 2012, the FDA ordered
drug companies to add a new warning
label about possible memory problems to the prescribing information
for statins.
Anti-seizure drugs are increasingly prescribed for nerve pain, bipolar and mood disorders and mania.
Such drugs include: Acetazolamide
(Diamox), carbamazepine (Tegretol),
ezogabine (Potiga), gabapentin
(Neurontin), lamotrigine (Lamictal),
levetiracetam (Keppra), oxcarbazebine (Trileptal), pregabalin (Lyrica),
rufinamide (Banzel), topiramate
(Topamax), valproic acid (Depakote),
and zonisamide (Zonegran). Anticonvulsants are believed to limit
seizures by dampening the flow of
signals within the central nervous
system. All drugs that depress central
nervous system signaling can cause
memory loss.
Antidepressant drugs
(Tricyclic antidepressants) or
TCAs, are prescribed for depression,
and increasingly, anxiety-, eating- and
obsessive-compulsive disorders,
chronic pain, smoking cessation and
some hormone-mediated disorders,
such as severe menstrual cramps
and hot flashes. Common TCAs
are: Amitriptyline (Elavil), clomipramine (Anafranil), desipramine
(Norpramin), doxepin (Sinequan),
imipramine (Trofranil), nortiptyline
(Pamelor), protriptyline (Vivactil),
and trimipramine (Surmontil).
About 35 percent of adults taking
TCAs report some degree of memory
impairment and about 54 percent
report difficulty concentrating. TCAs
are thought to cause memory problems by blocking the action of serotonin and norepinephrine, two of the
brain’s key chemical messengers.
Narcotic Painkillers, or opioid analgesics, are used to relieve
moderate to severe chronic pain.
These include: Fentanyl (Duragesic),
hydrocodone (Norco, Viocodin),
hydromorphone (Dilaudid, Exalgo),
morphine (Astramorph, Avinza), and
oxycodone (OxyContin, Percocet).
These drugs work by stemming the
flow of pain signals within the central
nervous system and by blunting one’s
emotional reaction to pain. Both of
these actions are mediated by chemical messengers that are also involved
in many aspects of cognition. These
drugs can interfere with long- and
short-term memory, especially when
used for extended periods of time.
Parkinson’s drugs (Dopamine
agonists) are also used to treat
certain pituitary tumors and restless
leg syndrome. Common medications are: Apomorphine (Apokyn),
pramipexole (Mirapex) and ropinirole (Requip). These drugs activate
signaling pathways for dopamine, a
chemical messenger involved in many
brain functions, including motivation,
the experience of pleasure, fine motor
control, learning and memory. As a
result, major side effects can include
memory loss, confusion, delusions,
hallucinations, drowsiness and compulsive behaviors such as overeating
and gambling.
Hypertension drugs (Betablockers) slow the heart rate and
lower blood pressure so they are
typically prescribed for high blood
pressure, congestive heart failure and
abnormal heart rhythms. They are
also used to treat chest pain (angina),
migraines, tremors and certain types
of glaucoma (in eye drop form).
Common beta-blockers are: Atenolol
(Tenormin), carvedilol (Coreg),
metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol), propranolol (Inderal), sotalol (B