Dementia Medications to Avoid

Some medical conditions especially the degenerative ones aren’t very easy to treat. Dementia, which is as a degenerative condition, happens to increase over time as earlier generations may have it more than the previous ones. Something about our lifestyle choices will add to the potential of developing dementia over time and could leave us looking for dementia medications.

One of the things we consider to include in our lifestyle other than diet, workout, sleep cycles and being clean from addictive substances would be the kinds of dementia medication to avoid when one has that degenerative condition. What are these medicines that we don’t need to get acquainted with? There’s a lot, actually. We start with:

Sedating antihistamines: Sedatives and Sleep Aids

Some sedatives or hypnotics, such as benzodiazepines and barbiturates, can cause drowsiness, confusion, increased cognitive impairment, slowed reaction, and worsening balance leading to falls. Sleep aids usually have the same effects. Examples of sedatives to avoid include the benzodiazepines diazepam (Valium), lorazepam (Aivan), temazepam(Restoril), triazolam (Halcion), and sleep aids zolpidem (Ambien), eszopiclone (Lunesta), and zaleplon (Sonata).

• Worsens Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
• Worsens Glaucoma
• Dizziness
• Respiratory depression
• Tachycardia
• Seizures
• Hallucinations
• Blurred vision
• Agitation

PM over-the-counter painkillers

These are our over the counter pain relievers such as Tylenol and Motrin. According to Dr. Leslie Kernisan, be sure to avoid the “PM” version of any OTC painkiller. The “PM” part means a mild sedative has been included, and such drugs. Usually, these are diphenhydramine, which is the main ingredient in Benadryl. These are are anticholinergic and known to be bad for brain function. Here are the following side effects for Tylenol:

• nausea,
• stomach pain,
• loss of appetite,
• itching,
• rash,
• headache,
• dark urine,
• clay-colored stools,
• jaundice
  
  

Here are the following side effects for Motrin:

• upset stomach, mild heartburn, nausea, vomiting;
• bloating, gas, diarrhea, constipation;
• dizziness, headache, nervousness;
• mild itching or rash; or.
• ringing in your ears.

Over-active bladder dementia medications

This includes bladder relaxants such as oxybutynin and tolterodine. Here are the following side effects for Oxybutynin:

• feeling very thirsty or hot, being unable to urinate, heavy sweating, or hot and dry skin;
• severe stomach pain or constipation;
• blurred vision, tunnel vision, eye pain, or seeing halos around lights;
• pain or burning when you urinate; or
• little or no urinating.
  
  

Common side effects may include:

• dry mouth;
• dry eyes, blurred vision;
• mild constipation; or
• dizziness, drowsiness.
  
  

Here are the following side effects for Tolterodine. Stop using tolterodine and call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

• chest pain, fast or uneven heart rate;
• confusion, hallucinations;
• urinating less than usual or not at all; or
• painful or difficult urination.
  
  

Less serious side effects may include:

• dry mouth, dry eyes;
• blurred vision;
• dizziness, drowsiness;
• constipation or diarrhea;
• stomach pain or upset;
• joint pain; or
• Headache.

Vertigo or motion sickness medication

Taking in prescribed motion sickness medications. The medication to avoid is Antivert, which is often prescribed to treat vertigo and motion sickness. Here are the following side effects for Antivert:

• blurred vision
• dry mouth,
• constipation,
• dizziness,
• drowsiness,
• headache,
• vomiting, or.
• tiredness.
  
  

The pills or tablets taken aren’t healthy for long term usage. The medicines we take create an impact on our kidney. How much more for the medicines that we really need to avoid?

Nerve pain dementia medications

Tricyclics, such as amitriptyline and nortriptyline, are used to treat pain from neuropathy. Here are the following side effects for amitriptyline:

• constipation, diarrhea;
• nausea, vomiting, upset stomach;
• mouth pain, unusual taste, black tongue;
• appetite or weight changes;
• urinating less than usual;
• itching or rash;
• breast swelling (in men or women); or.
• decreased sex drive, impotence, or difficulty having an orgasm.
  
  

Here are the following side effects for nortriptyline:

• nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite;
• anxiety, sleep problems (insomnia);
• dry mouth, unusual taste;
• little or no urinating;
• constipation;
• vision changes;
• breast swelling (in men or women); or.
• decreased sex drive, impotence, or difficulty having an orgasm.

Muscle relaxants

These include drugs such as cyclobenzaprine and they are often prescribed for back or neck pain. Here are the following side effects for cyclobenzaprine:

• headache, dizziness;
• drowsiness, tired feeling;
• trouble concentrating;
• blurred vision, dry mouth or throat, altered sense of taste; or.
• nausea, upset stomach, constipation.

Antidepressants

Antidepressants cause sedation and can add to the decline of cognition. These may contain anticholinergic effects, which does further suppress the expression of acetylcholine. This is one of the main brain cell or neuro-cells that sends messages in the brain. Other kinds of drugs: Amitriptyline (Elavil), Nortriptyline (Pamelor), Andimipramine (Tofranil)

Sometimes, people with dementia take in medication for low mood and irritability. The drugs for low mood and irritability: Citalopram (Celexa), Fluoxetine (Prozac), Paroxetine (Paxil), Sertaline (Zoloft), and Trazodone (Desyrel).

Antipsychotics

Antipsychotics are sometimes offered to treat behavioral symptoms such as agitation, aggressiveness, hallucinations and delusions. Some newer and older drugs can cause serious side effects including sedation, confusion, restlessness and other symptoms. These drugs cannot be used routinely. Under careful supervision of an experienced clinician, the drugs mentioned should only be taken at its minimum dosage for a minimum amount of time.

Now we’ve come to know most drugs have adverse effects on our bodies. Some bring in the dizziness, fatigue, lack of appetite, vomiting, trouble concentrating, blurred vision, and etc.  

So, what are we to do to slow down the progress of dementia? Most health professionals suggest that we need to give ourselves some freedom from becoming dependent on medication to feel better, because we really won’t get better with just the medication. Any pursuit to keeping the brain active in a non-medicinal way could be a great alternative.

Brain Training Courses

Neeuro has identified a very effective yet a non-medicinal way to improve the patient with Dementia’s quality of living through a custom designed brain training exercise that is covered by NeeuroFIT Brain Training courses. This includes the use of smart technology to track the progress of each patient. Meanwhile, this is a new route to take from depending on dementia medication.

A new way of fighting dementia used by health professionals reduces the risk of further cognitive decline through the many activities that keep most parts of the brain active and functional. These can improve cognitive function, peer engagement, productivity and overall health. These exercises help slow the development of degenerative conditions and increase productivity as well as the success in doing the daily tasks.

It aims to delay the progress of dementia without depending solely on dementia medication, knowing the side effects most medicines could bring if we fail to avoid them.  

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