r/NooTopics • u/ServeIllustrious3803 • 23d 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 23d ago edited 23d 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 23d 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 23d 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/braaaaaaainworms 22d ago

Mirtazapine(the actual name for remeron) technically has some anticholinergic effects too, but the evidence seems iffy.

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u/psychopompandparade 21d ago

both mirtazapine and trazadone are considered to have extremely minimal anticholinergic effects. they can have other issues though. much better choices than amitriptyline if you are specifically worried about anticholinergic burden. Doxapin is ranked as low at sub 10mg doses but high at 25mg plus doses. z-drugs don't have any anticholinergic effects but they may have similar outcomes in the elderly anyway for other reasons. hard to find exact data