Archive for category: Caregivers

Have you been concerned about high blood pressure (hypertension)? Or are you worried about an older relative having a stroke or heart attacks? You’re not alone. After all, hypertension is the most com...

Q: An older friend, who is in her 90s, has been having bacteria in her urine, but no symptoms. Despite treatment with antibiotics, she was still having bacteria in the urine, so the doctor recommended...

One of the most common concerns I hear from people is “My older parent’s behavior is concerning me and I’m worried about her mental abilities.” As I explained in a related article: it’s not always dem...

One of the most common concerns I hear from people is “My older parent’s behavior is concerning me and I’m worried about her mental abilities.” As I explained in a related article: it’s not always dem...

Q: I realize that I sometimes have difficulty connecting a name and a face.  I presume that this is mild cognitive impairment. On researching the topic online, I find a variety of suggestions for alle...

  Swelling in the lower legs – known as “lower extremity edema” in medical terms – is a problem that often affects older adults. The good news is that most of the time, it’s annoying, but not terribly...

Want to keep your brain — or the brain of someone you love — as healthy as possible?

Then it’s essential to know which commonly used medications affect brain function.

In this article, I’ll go into details regarding a type of medication that I wish all older adults knew about: anticholinergic drugs.

How Anticholinergics Affect the Aging Brain and Body

Anticholinergics are drugs that block acetylcholine, a key neurotransmitter in the body. This leads to lower brain function, which people often experience as drowsiness.

Sometimes that sedation is why people take the drugs, and a little sleepiness might sound benign. But when the brain is older, or otherwise vulnerable, these drugs can be problematic.

In fact, these literally have the opposite effect of the drugs often used to treat Alzheimer’s and other dementias. Donepezil, rivastigmine, and galantamine (brand names Aricept, Exelon, and Razadyne), for example, are designed to increase acetylcholine by blocking the brain enzyme that breaks it down.

Research has linked anticholinergic drugs to increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease, and also to hospitalizations in older adults. And the American Geriatrics Society has warned about them for years; anticholinergics are definitely on the Beer’s List of medications older adults should avoid or use with caution.

Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter used in many other parts of the body, including the eyes, mouth, bowels, and bladder. So anticholinergic drugs commonly cause side-effects such as dry eyes, dry mouth, and constipation.

These drugs are in everything from allergy medicines to muscle relaxants to painkillers. They are in many over-the-counter (OTC) medications, and they are often prescribed for a variety of common health complaints.

7 Common Types of Medication that are Anticholinergic

Here are seven common types of anticholinergic medication that older adults should avoid, or use with caution:

Everyone wants to get the right medical care. But doctors are often lacking key medical information at the time they see you (or, your aging relative). The solution: setting up and using a personal he...

Here’s a situation that comes up for many people: you move in later life. Or maybe it’s your older mother — or father, or other older relative — who’s moving to a new town, perhaps to be closer to you...