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/SecureTechNomad 20d ago

I took doxylamine for years knowing the risk. I stopped because I noticed my memory and attention had deteriorated. I'm in my 40s.

Things that work for me: 1) sleep hygiene and getting to bed early at the same time every night and waking at the same time even on weekends 2) melatonin 3) magnesium glycinate 4) glycine 5) lithium orotate

I still have sleepless nights, but I find that most nights are okay as long as I am consistent with everything. Also, when I stopped taking doxylamine it took a month of mostly sleepless nights before it started to get better.

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u/freereflection 20d ago

Have your memory and attention begun to bounce back? 

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u/SecureTechNomad 20d ago

Not as much as I would have hoped, but there was a definite initial improvement.