Long term Benadryl concern

[amon10]

Just wanted to share this study because I know some in group use Benadryl in regards to histamine theory. I also have some believe in this theory, but have just chosen to use a different class of antihistamine. I have pretty good history of dementia in my family so I just trying to be proactive. This is just one study by I think you'll find interesting. I have used loratadine the last few cycles with same results. https://sop.washington.edu/higher-dementia-risk-linked-use-common-drugs/

Original study http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2091745 Just so people know I wouldn't give any credit to a study that used a single group such as "elderly african american women"

And again not trying to share this like it is gospel, just interesting. I replaced a OTC drug with another one with no added expense.

I believe in the battle all diseases and conditions there will usually never be a direct line to answers and cures. Best to keep all options open. Thanks and thank you to ClusterBusters for helping me through dark times in my life.

[ThatHurtsMyHead]

Interesting article.  I'd like to see the source data as the conclusion seems very generic, with no facts presented.  I'm not disputing the validity of her findings, just seems odd no source data was presented in the article.

 

Update - 

I'm leaving my above comment for context, but did find the link to the JAMA article from that article.  Lots of source data is presented in the JAMA article, but there doesn't seem to be any reason for their conclusion other than Anticholinergics were prescribed to the majority of those that developed reduced cognitive function.  There's a million other missed data points from their data I can see.  I don't see anything environmental (which is the leading theory on dementia to date - Aluminum exposure).  It is a good start to see if prescription drugs could be the cause of dementia though.  

 

Interesting read, Thanks for posting!

 

J

[Ricardo]

I was reading this last night on the FB page.  Here is one doctors take on it.  I think the truth is probably somewhere between "these drugs cause dementia" and "this is only true for elderly African American women".

 

http://www.clinicalcorrelations.org/?p=6162

 

If people have a concern about the possibility of anti-cholinergic induced dementia they might want to look into the herb Melissa Officinalis, also known as lemon balm.  It actually boosts cholinergic activity and has long been associated with boosts in memory and lowering of anxiety.

 

It also is pretty tasty in big bong hits and will most likely help with busting anxiety

 

http://www.nature.com/npp/journal/v28/n10/full/1300230a.html

 

-Ricardo

[Pebblesthecorgi]

This article and permutations of it have caused a stir even though the data was presented several years ago.  There have been a couple of population based reports about anticholinergics (usually older antidepressants or incontinence meds), antihistamines (harder to track because they are over the counter) and proton pump inhibitors (for gastric reflux) regarding memory issues and dementia over the last five years or so.  These studies are generally done by data mining large databases maintained by comprehensive insurance products (ie Kaiser like entities) or government run insurance product (ie Scandinavian countries).  These studies are done retrospectively using sophisticated software to tease out information.  The problem with the studies is the classic "shit in, shit out" conundrum because they depend on questionnaires and diagnosis data which is never substantiated.  The numbers of individual data mined are large so the studies seem statistically powerful but so many variables are not controlled. It has to be taken with a grain of salt.   I don't mean to dismiss the studies out of hand and of course my simplistic explanation will rouse some objections but generalizing these sort of studies does a disservice to many folks who benefit from certain meds.  The other problem is implicating old fashion, readily available, inexpensive medication in problems like memory and dementia pushes folks to newer, less available, much more costly drugs which have not been around a long time and can cause who knows what long term problems.  We have to start somewhere when studying the things we put into our bodies but many of these data mining studies get picked up by the popular press and the results are extrapolated to support one bias or another.  Often these large studies inspire a specific line of controlled research which can definitively (or at least better) define the risk of using a medication.  This is why studies of things like Psilocybin which Clusterbusters supports are so important.  Facts gathered in a controlled fashion help dispel myths and give vetted information to consumers.