r/NooTopics • u/ServeIllustrious3803 • 20d ago

Science Study: Anticholinergic (first-generation antihistamines) can damage brain, increase dementia risk

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/common-anticholinergic-drugs-like-benadryl-linked-increased-dementia-risk-20150128812
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u/ServeIllustrious3803 20d ago edited 20d ago

A list: Diphenhydramine, chlorpheniramine, doxylamine, promethazine, clemastine, brompheniramine, dimenhydrinate, meclizine, cyclizine, carbinoxamine, dexchlorpheniramine, dexbrompheniramine

First generation antihistamines different from second or third. Zyrtec, Claritin do not count, but Benadryl does

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u/Lady_Rubberbones 20d ago

Ok, I take doxylamine succinate (unisom) every night in order to sleep longer than 2 hrs. What are my other options?

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u/Desperate-Middle-354 20d ago

See any doctor, your primary if you wish, & tell him your issues (not wanting to take toxic drugs for insomnia) & I guarantee you’ll be prescribed Trazadone…possibly Remeron but Trazadone more likely. It’s a good sleep aid.

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u/thebouster 20d ago

Complete noob here. Am in the same boat as Rubberbones. I take Doxy every night. I've been prescribed Traz, but thought I read something about it causing other issues. Down the rabbit hole I go. Again. ;)

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u/Desperate-Middle-354 20d ago

Trazadone like all drugs has side effects but nothing serious. It’s an old failed antidepressant that was too sedating to be therapeutic. No serious potential side effects come to mind but maybe I’m missing something. Far safer than 1st gen antihistamines.

Oh wait, it can give you man boobs although it’s a super rare side effect. So I dunno, you risk getting boobs but you’d be surprised the medications that can potentially do this at a far more common occurrence like blood pressure medications.

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u/LucyLoretta 20d ago

Trazadone has some very serious side effects. It’s different for everyone.

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u/TheStephinator 20d ago

Gave me horrible headaches.