The guide / Part 18
Medications that can affect memory: what to ask your pharmacist
Contents
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Some medicines can affect attention and memory. A Canadian deprescribing network names sleeping pills, some allergy and bladder medicines and others, and says older adults are more sensitive to brain side effects. In our reading, the sensible step is a medication review with a doctor or pharmacist, never stopping a medicine on your own.
You started a new tablet, or you have been taking the same ones for years, and now you are losing words or your train of thought. It is fair to ask whether a medicine could be playing a part. This guide sticks to what open sources say, names no brands, and does not tell you to stop or change anything.
How can a medicine affect attention and memory?
The Canadian Medication Appropriateness and Deprescribing Network explains it in plain terms. By causing drowsiness, confusion and loss of balance, it says, medications may interfere with attention, memory, language, and task planning. It adds that these side effects may be temporary or long-term.
A second route comes from a Cochrane review. Its authors explain that anticholinergic medicines block the binding of acetylcholine to receptors in the brain and elsewhere in the body. These medicines are prescribed for several reasons, including urinary problems.
We found no open source that predicts what any one medicine will do to you. Whether yours matters is a question for a clinician who knows your full list.
Which kinds of medicines do sources name?
The Deprescribing Network page lists these classes as affecting memory and thinking:
- sleeping pills (benzodiazepines and related "z-drugs"), and over-the-counter sleeping aids
- some anti-allergy medicines and some anti-nausea medicines
- antipsychotics and some antidepressants
- medicines for urinary incontinence
- muscle relaxants and opioid pain medicines
- some medicines for nerve pain or epilepsy
The 2023 American Geriatrics Society Beers Criteria, in a pocket summary we opened, mark benzodiazepines and medicines with strong anticholinergic properties as ones to avoid in adults 65 and older. That summary did not set out the reasoning, so we cannot say here why each was listed.
Two cautions. First, these are classes, not a verdict on any one product. Second, a class on a list does not mean it is affecting you. We read the network's page as a prompt for a conversation, not a diagnosis.
We also searched NHS pages on memory loss and on the causes of dementia. They did not mention medicines as a cause, so we do not cite the NHS for this topic.
Who may be more sensitive, and what is the evidence?
The Deprescribing Network says older adults are particularly at risk of these side effects, because as we age the body becomes more sensitive to them, including effects on the brain. It also names people with a diagnosis of cognitive impairment or dementia as at risk. Its page gives no threshold for how many medicines raise the risk, and we did not find one in the sources we opened.
The AGS Beers Criteria apply, in the summary's words, to adults 65 years old and older. If you are in your 50s, that does not make these lists irrelevant, but they were written for an older group.
What that review actually did: it included 18 observational studies of 102,684 older adults (mean ages 72 to 88), about 97% of whom had mild cognitive impairment or dementia. Only 4 of 10 studies on cognitive decline found a significant link with higher anticholinergic burden. The authors rated the bias risk high in most studies. It says nothing certain about healthy people in midlife.
Should I stop a medicine I think is affecting my memory?
No, not on your own. The network is clear on this.
The network describes deprescribing as stopping or reducing the dose of a medication, done with a health professional. We are not recommending any change here, and we cannot judge your case.
What is a medication review, and how do I prepare?
The Deprescribing Network suggests asking for a full review of your medication. In plain terms, someone who is trained looks at everything you take and asks whether each item is still needed.
A pharmacist can often help with this. In our reading, a useful list is complete. We did not confirm this in an official source, so treat it as common-sense preparation:
- Prescription medicines, with the dose and how often you really take them.
- Over-the-counter products, such as sleeping aids, allergy tablets and pain relievers.
- Vitamins, herbal products and other supplements.
- Alcohol, if you drink. We cover this in alcohol and memory in your 50s.
- The date a memory or attention change began, and whether it followed any new medicine.
A bag with every bottle and box works as well as a typed list. Bring it to the appointment, so nothing is missed because it was left off from memory.
Write down how you take each one in real life. Some people skip doses, split tablets or take extras on bad days, and a reviewer can only help with what they can see. Say so plainly; the point is an accurate picture, not a grade.
What questions should I bring?
The Deprescribing Network lists five questions to ask your health professional:
- Why am I taking this medication?
- What are the potential benefits and harms?
- Can it affect my memory or cause falls?
- Can I stop or reduce the dose (deprescribe)?
- Who do I follow up with and when?
It also suggests asking: if a medication may be affecting my memory or cognition, could it be deprescribed?
For a wider visit plan, see questions to ask your doctor about memory. If the changes are new, worsening or noticed by others, normal aging vs. early dementia explains why a check-up matters, and sleep and memory after 45 covers a common overlap, since sleeping pills appear on the list above.
Medicines are only one possible factor. A clinician can weigh them alongside everything else.
This article is general information, not medical advice. Do not start, stop or change any medicine without talking to a doctor or pharmacist.
Medications and memory, answered
Can medications cause memory loss?
Some medicines can affect attention and memory, according to the Canadian Medication Appropriateness and Deprescribing Network, which says they may cause drowsiness, confusion and loss of balance. Those effects may be temporary or long-term. Whether a particular medicine is affecting you is something a clinician can judge, not us.
Which types of medicines are named as affecting memory?
The network lists benzodiazepines and related sleeping pills, over-the-counter sleeping aids, some allergy and anti-nausea medicines, antipsychotics, some antidepressants, medicines for urinary incontinence, muscle relaxants, opioids, and some medicines for nerve pain or epilepsy. A class on a list does not mean it is affecting you.
Are older adults more at risk?
The network says older adults are particularly at risk because the body becomes more sensitive to these side effects with age, and it names people with cognitive impairment or dementia as also at risk. The 2023 AGS Beers Criteria are written for adults 65 and older. We found no number of medicines that sets the risk.
Should I stop a medicine if I think it is causing memory problems?
No, not on your own. The network says to always talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before stopping or changing any of your medications. We cannot recommend a change for you.
What should I bring to a medication review?
In our reading, bring everything: prescriptions, over-the-counter products, vitamins and supplements, with doses. We did not find an official page we could open that confirms this exact list, so it is practical preparation, not a rule. The network also suggests asking whether a medicine may be affecting your memory and whether it could be deprescribed.