“Taking multiple medications can also cause loss of memory function.”
(Lynn Allison – Newsmax) That memory loss, brain fog or confusion you are experiencing could be due to a medication you are taking. While alcohol and drug abuse, cigarette smoking, sleep deprivation, vitamin B12 deficiency, and of course Alzheimer’s disease and depression can trigger loss of memory, drugs in your medicine chest can have memory robbing powers, too.
According to AARP, these are some examples:
- Antianxiety drugs. Benzodiazepines are used to treat a variety of anxiety disorders and have a sedative effect which can dampen activity in key parts of the brain, including those responsible for transferring short-term to long-term memory. Experts recommend that these drugs, such as Xanax and Librium, should be prescribed only rarely for older adults who have more trouble than younger people in flushing the medication out of their system. This puts older folks at higher risk for memory loss as well as delirium, falls, fractures, and motor vehicle accidents.