We’ve written about the negative effects of anticholinergics before. Now another study has been published that links anticholinergics to cognitive decline and even death.
Anticholinergics include both prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications such as Benadryl, Dramamine, Exedrin PM, Nytrol, Sominex and Tylenol PM.
A study looked at 13,000 men and women over the age of 65 for a period of two years. It found that those taking medications with definite anticholinergic effects showed a 0.33 point decline in their Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores. Two year mortality was also higher in those taking anticholinergic medications.
This is a good reminder that over-the-counter medications can carry just as much risk as prescription drugs. Always speak to your doctor before taking new medications or altering existing regimens.
Source: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
As always, there's more information and advice in our insomnia support forum.
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It seems odd to me to use anticholinergics to get to sleep, when acetylcholine is supposed to induce REM sleep. It also plays a part in memory, so it is absolutely logical that anticholinergics would have a negative effect on cognition, memory, and also libido. I suppose you might supplement your regimen, if you’re taking anticholinergics, with choline supplements or foods high in choline.
I am however, not medically trained, nor do I play a doctor on TV/in movies.