medication, and sometimes the change is more noticeable to other people. A memory problem due to medication is seldom permanent, however. In fact, the problem may go away on itsown as you continue to take the medicine and your body adjusts to it. If the problem doesn’t go away, talk with your doctors to find out if there are other medications you can take instead.
No one can tell who will have a memory problem from a medication, and it can happen to anyone. Some things, however, make a person more likely to have memory problems with medications:
• Side effects from medications in the past
• Low weight
• Older age
• A sudden change in health
• Taking several other medications
• Taking more (or less) of a medication than you are supposed to
• Taking a medication in combination with alcohol
• A medical condition like Alzheimer’s disease that is already affecting memory
• Some kinds of liver disease
• Heart failure
• Kidney failure
Although some medications affect memory and attention more than others do, the same medications don’t cause the same problems in everyone. Medications that have a higher risk of memory problems include
• Prescription sleeping or anxiety medications
Ambien (zolpidem)
Ativan (lorazepam)
Lunesta (eszopiclone)
Sonata (zaleplon)
Valium (diazepam)
Xanax (alprazolam)
• Urinary incontinence medications
Detrol (tolterodine)
Ditropan or Oxytrol (oxybutynin)
Enablex (darifenacin)
Sanctura (trospium)
Toviaz (fesoterodine)
Vesicare (solifenacin)
• Muscle relaxants
Lioresal (baclofen)
Flexeril (cyclobenzaprine)
Skelaxin (metaxalone)
Soma (carisoprodol)
• Neurontin (gabapentin)
• Over-the-counter allergy or sleeping pills
Benadryl or Sominex (diphenhydramine)
Chlor-Trimeton (chlorpheniramine)
Unisom (doxylamine)
• Narcotic pain medications
MS Contin and other brands of morphine
Duragesic or Actiq (fentanyl)
Oxycontin and other brands of oxycodone
hydrocodone (found in Vicodin, Norco, Lortab and other brands)
The effect of “statin” cholesterol-lowering medications is unclear. When starting treatment, they might cause memory problems in some people. But if taken for a year or more, they might reduce the chance for dementia. They include
Crestor (rosuvastatin)
Lescol (fluvastatin)
Lipitor (atorvastatin)
Mevacor (lovastatin)
Pravachol (pravastatin)
Zocor (simvastatin)
Memory problems can happen at any time during treatment, but they happen more often when getting started or when increasing the dose.
Medications are only one of many causes of memory problems. If you think you are having a memory problem from a medication, you should talk to your doctors or pharmacists. Never stop or reduce your medications on your own. You and your doctor can together decide whether your memory problem may be due to the medication and what to do about it.
When it comes to side effects of medicines, prevention is key. You can be a partner in preventing memory problems due to medications by
• Keeping a list of medications and showing it to your doctors and pharmacists before you start or change the dose of a medicine
• Working with your doctors to try to stop medications you may no longer need
• Not drinking alcohol if you think your memory might be affected by your medications
• Talking with your doctors or pharmacists about scheduling the taking of your medications to lessen their effect on your memory
• Telling your doctors and pharmacists if you think your memory is affected by a medicine, so that they can try to prevent this problem from happening again with the same or similar medications(This section on medications was written by Tami Remington, Pharm.D., Clinical Associate Professor, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.)
EXAMPLE
----
Tom has been feeling tired and foggy, and he is forgetting more than he used to. His daughter suggests that he see his family doctor for consultation. Dr. Brown takes a complete history, including a review of medications. She discovers
No one can tell who will have a memory problem from a medication, and it can happen to anyone. Some things, however, make a person more likely to have memory problems with medications:
• Side effects from medications in the past
• Low weight
• Older age
• A sudden change in health
• Taking several other medications
• Taking more (or less) of a medication than you are supposed to
• Taking a medication in combination with alcohol
• A medical condition like Alzheimer’s disease that is already affecting memory
• Some kinds of liver disease
• Heart failure
• Kidney failure
Although some medications affect memory and attention more than others do, the same medications don’t cause the same problems in everyone. Medications that have a higher risk of memory problems include
• Prescription sleeping or anxiety medications
Ambien (zolpidem)
Ativan (lorazepam)
Lunesta (eszopiclone)
Sonata (zaleplon)
Valium (diazepam)
Xanax (alprazolam)
• Urinary incontinence medications
Detrol (tolterodine)
Ditropan or Oxytrol (oxybutynin)
Enablex (darifenacin)
Sanctura (trospium)
Toviaz (fesoterodine)
Vesicare (solifenacin)
• Muscle relaxants
Lioresal (baclofen)
Flexeril (cyclobenzaprine)
Skelaxin (metaxalone)
Soma (carisoprodol)
• Neurontin (gabapentin)
• Over-the-counter allergy or sleeping pills
Benadryl or Sominex (diphenhydramine)
Chlor-Trimeton (chlorpheniramine)
Unisom (doxylamine)
• Narcotic pain medications
MS Contin and other brands of morphine
Duragesic or Actiq (fentanyl)
Oxycontin and other brands of oxycodone
hydrocodone (found in Vicodin, Norco, Lortab and other brands)
The effect of “statin” cholesterol-lowering medications is unclear. When starting treatment, they might cause memory problems in some people. But if taken for a year or more, they might reduce the chance for dementia. They include
Crestor (rosuvastatin)
Lescol (fluvastatin)
Lipitor (atorvastatin)
Mevacor (lovastatin)
Pravachol (pravastatin)
Zocor (simvastatin)
Memory problems can happen at any time during treatment, but they happen more often when getting started or when increasing the dose.
Medications are only one of many causes of memory problems. If you think you are having a memory problem from a medication, you should talk to your doctors or pharmacists. Never stop or reduce your medications on your own. You and your doctor can together decide whether your memory problem may be due to the medication and what to do about it.
When it comes to side effects of medicines, prevention is key. You can be a partner in preventing memory problems due to medications by
• Keeping a list of medications and showing it to your doctors and pharmacists before you start or change the dose of a medicine
• Working with your doctors to try to stop medications you may no longer need
• Not drinking alcohol if you think your memory might be affected by your medications
• Talking with your doctors or pharmacists about scheduling the taking of your medications to lessen their effect on your memory
• Telling your doctors and pharmacists if you think your memory is affected by a medicine, so that they can try to prevent this problem from happening again with the same or similar medications(This section on medications was written by Tami Remington, Pharm.D., Clinical Associate Professor, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.)
EXAMPLE
----
Tom has been feeling tired and foggy, and he is forgetting more than he used to. His daughter suggests that he see his family doctor for consultation. Dr. Brown takes a complete history, including a review of medications. She discovers
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