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I’m only 54, and having been an otr truck driver, have seen doctors all over the country. I’m so thoroughly surprised that 90% or so of these health ‘care’ workers really don’t give 2 figs about my health. In and out. Give me your money. Sorry, no time to listen to what ails you. Insurance companies tell me to not use my own head, but do what they want. So yes, I agree, when someone in healthcare goes against the grain by caring, I value it much too. This doctor is a goldmine
I started using Diphenhydramine in 2006 after a bone marrow transplant , I have been telling my doctor about memory loss and he never took me off those darn things. I decided to just quit using them 3 months ago. Now I am feeling much better and working to recover what was squandered - I am 57 years old. Thank you for this video.
My wife caught Chronic Fatigue Syndrome when she was in her late 30s. It took 10 years to find a combination of medications and activities that alleviated her most serious symptoms. These included tremendous difficulties getting to sleep and staying asleep. Part of her medication regime included melatonin and Unisom (which has the same active ingredient as Benadryl but at twice the dose). While the symptoms of CFS gradually improved and most of her medications were abandoned, she stayed on her sleep medication. Until we watched your video. It is 35 years later and we had been beginning to become alarmed at her memory difficulties. Over a period of a month we gradually weaned her off her sleep medication, and the results have been dramatic. She feels alert and seems to have regained her working memory skills. And she is also sleeping better than she has for 40 years. It’s like finally getting over a bad cold or flu, she says. Thank you for the wonderful work you are doing. We are so happy to have become subscribers. It has changed our lives.
Im no doctor but CFS, as well as insomnia and many other physical disorders like back pain has been known to be a symptom of TMS. Tension Myositis Syndrome. Its a mind body disorder written and treated by Dr. John E Sarno who has successfully treated thousands. Look into it. Many many people have totally overcome CFS and insomnia using TMS healing.
My mother was in a nursing home for several months before she died, and she was dosed up on Haldol as were apparently all the other patients in the facility. She went down hill rapidly on this psychotropic drug, quit eating, saw pink elephants etc. I found out from her family doctor they did this to make them all more manageable and sedated. When we forced them to take her off this crap she improved drastically and again became a normal human being. Several weeks later the staff doctor put her back on it claiming she was combative which her nurses denied out right. We had to threaten the doctor and nursing home management with a gross malpractice law suit in a class action suit with most of the families of the other patients. The practice finally ceased. The staff had known about the practice for a long time but were afraid to say anything in fear of losing the jobs. The nursing home was owned by five doctors in an investment group. For those people with loved ones in nursing homes such practices appear to be common BEWARE!!
This is sad but not surprising. Haldol is an antipsychotic & I cover those in my video on 4 types of medication to avoid: ruclips.net/video/k-3BY-naQ0M/видео.html It can take a lot of family advocacy to push back. One of our Helping Older Parents members was recently told by a facility that her 95 year old father needed antipsychotics because he had developed a serious mental illness. This was ridiculous and false; he was hard of hearing, a little cognitively impaired, and he was getting a little flustered and upset when the caregivers were rushing him. (Schizophrenia is not something that comes on at age 95). The family was able to push back but also ultimately opted to move the father to another facility, where the care has been better.
Physician (psychiatrist and functional medicine doctor) here. I'm going to say that some of the staff were afraid of losing their jobs and some of them were grateful that work was easier with sedated patients. And some of the physician investors did not care and some would have been horrified to learn of the practice. Just to stop the physician bashing.
I know. When I was looking into different long term residential care for each of my parents, they were far too often filled with residents over drugged and slumped in wheel chairs, lined up against walls in the hallways..fairly incoherent. One nurse explained that they were understaffed and consequently couldn’t properly care for the “ patients “ in the home. They drugged them so they couldn’t complain, couldn’t verbalize their needs.
I am 75, and managed to stop my meds four years ago (blood pressure and sugar, arthritis, acid reflux etc) by changing my diet. Maybe the day will come when I have to start meds again but I don't consider it 'normal' as you can read so often, to be taking meds when you get older. Going off-topic, I went Keto.. . also not really relevant, but I ran my first (very slow) marathon recently.
@@mindmybusynassm1645 I was genetically unfit to handle the high quantities of carbohydrates that are generally recommended as 'healthy'. Anyway, you missed the point about Keto so I'll leave it there.
I'm an 84 yr old gal and just found you. Thank you for making these RUclips videos. So helpful. I subscribed and will be reviewing your past videos. Yay!
As an 80 year young woman, i have always felt people, mostly the elderly, overdose on medication. Supplements work fine for me - curcumin for pain, fish oil, garlic, ginger etc. Thank you Doctor.
Thank you so much. I try to avoid meds and practice healthy lifestyle as first line of defends. Happy for professional researched based consulting. We can sometimes run from the FRYING pan into the fire. Unfortunately, pharmacy centric medical practices have over taken health care and personal responsibility.
Thank you so much for your videos. I'm 70 and was diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment. So, I'm always looking for good information to help me understand what that is and what can help slow it down. Dementia runs in my family. Doctors have no time for you anymore and you get 20-minute visits that turn out to be 10 -15 minutes because of the interruptions. You are so kind to share your knowledge and experience. It's much better than seeing my neurologist.
Ask your pharmacist to make sure you would have no medicine conflicts, but if you have brain fog, brain fatigue, focus issues, try B2 including adding extra if you are already taking a Complex B vitamin, which is good to do too. The B2 really helps with brain fog, fatigue and boosts a bit energy
My husband is a pharmacist and he used to do consulting for nursing homes. All he was doing was looking at patient charts looking for drug interactions. All I can say is if you have family in care homes you need to have their medications checked. Some people see up to 10 different doctors and they may not remember all of their meds or whatever the reason. Take their med list to their pharmacist, not just their doctor, ask them to look at the list for any interactions.
Most over the counter sleep aids are diphenhydramine, which is what Benadryl is. The allergy dose is 25mg, the sleeping dose is 50mg. It's also the ingredient most commonly used in PM pain relief.
So, how many of us are taking pills for the pills? No wonder the thought of throwing ALL the bottles away and just living the rest of my life without medication is always on my mind. There was a time when I had four doctors, each a specialist. I got so frustrated because I could not get them to communicate with each other about me. At times, I got conflicting information. I finally gave up. Now, I only see my primary doctor and always wonder if I am getting the best advice. The world of medicine and medication is a crap shoot.
Health care in the US is horrid all the way around! It's not just the doctors; it's the whole structure, from medical schools to, now, corporations. Exceptionalism is not America.
“…and always wonder if I’m getting the best advice?” Very respectively said, you’re not. The medical field is today is corrupt. Medicine today is just best on maximizing profits. What are doctors without patients? Doctors treat the symptom, but never the cure. Even good doctors are forced into this system.
The alternative is to go to a all natural holistic healer , no meds been doing it 45 yrs , only had to change my diet , processed foods are as harmful as pharmaceutical meds , dump then the body heals it's self , and gets better every day 😉 😀 😄 👍 😜
Am a retired nurse. I did take Benadryl for a while for a sleep aide until I read an article citing what you just said. Have not used it for a long time now. This was an excellent informative video. Thank you
I occasionally take a small amount of ZzzQuil (which I have read is Benadryl), to sleep but I do not take the recommended amount. Using their plastic cap, I take about as much as the thickness of a penny. With this stuff, I reach REM while sleeping and it deadens my tinnitus. It has had no ill-effects on my memory.
Your video is life changing. I have been taking Benadryl and Melatonin for insomnia for years. Two years ago after Covid, I developed Long Covid. It is very odd that it hit the part of my brain that remembers names and vocabulary. I am a bit disappointed that my doctors never told me about what you are saying. Thank you and God bless you.
Thank you for taking the time to provide this video. I am 76. I cannot imagine that anyone in my age group would not find this incredibly useful and important. again, thanks!
Scares me to death..ugh. I take something every night. Now Im worried sick. My dad had alzheimers and he didn't take any drugs his entire 89 years of life. I'm a caffeine, dramamine, tylenol pm junky. I must be almost gone by now at 75. My mother is 95 and never took pills either. She wouldn't even give me children's aspirin when I was a teenager. She told me if I had a headache she would take me to the Doctor to find out why. Now I think she was right all along.
63 yrs old. I went for minor surgery. They asked for a "drug list" I didn't even know that is a thing. People my own age are always surprised I do not take medication. I eat red meat, drink water, black coffee or tea. I don't eat any food that is in a box or can. No soda or sugar . No alcohol or anything like that. No weed or cigarettes.
@jimthompson717 black coffee or tea is fine. As long as it's not instant coffee or tea of course. It's the sugars and cream chemicals that are harmful. Coffee 12 hours before bedtime is fine
Several years ago my doctor prescribed Oxybutynin. This drug made me stupid. The "brain fog" was extremely disconcerting. I was lucky to realize the medication was the obvious recent change and the issue resolved immediately when I stopped taking it. I discussed it with my Dr at the next visit, and she prescribed the exact same medication again. I stopped seeing her and didn't bother filling the prescription. It's absolutely disturbing such drugs are allowed.
Sometimes it is really important to do your homework. Look your drugs up. If any of them are dangerous and ineffective stop taking them! Eat a little of the best foods you can find a drink a lot of clean water. Get more exercise. Stay clean. Go outside everyday. Turn the dang TV OFF! 😂😂 American 'medicine' is profit oriented. Wake up. Feel better. Live longer.
I recently finished a year long withdrawal from Amitriptyline, which I've taken for nerve pain, at 100mg/day or more, for over 10 years. At 69 I did my own research and learned that my significant brain fog and memory loss were likely attributable to the medication. I'm now using a different medication and feel like I have been given a healthy brain and a new life! Thank you for sharing this life changing information.
@@keithwilkinson5707 My issues have to do with nerve pain, which Amitriptyline kept in check at the cost of 10 years of being engaged in life. I am now taking Cymbalta, which is doing the trick for my nerve pain. However, I also have a history of migraines, which over the last 10 years have diminished to fewer than 3 a year. ... until I stopped Amitriptyline. I now get very mild migraines - maybe 10 a year. I can manage them with ibuprofen, but have come to assume their return is due to stopping Amitriptyline. Bottom line though, I wouldn't go back to Amitriptyline for the world. I have my life back again. Best wishes for you.
As a Dr myself,I am aware of the problems associated with anticholinergics. I am concerned about vertigo in the elderly. If a patient falls because of the dizziness, that is by far the more serious problem, often leading to an early death. I’m just not sure how long to treat someone safely in that setting. Exercises are often not possible in the older population. Thank you.
This is so important and underreported. I am a non-clinical (accountant) in a nursing home and regularly see these medications being used with our residents. Then the clinical team act surprised when the residents become more confused and exhibit worsening dementia and balance issues. I have asked all of them to look into this, but they blindly follow the visiting physicians orders without question or advocacy. Also, shame on these doctors that "specialize" in geriatrics and proscribe anticholinergics rather than alternatives that are many times just as effective.
Bravo Accountant. As a CPA, I've had to alter direction of my mom's medical treatment twice. I'd assume the doctors would implement the best treatment process, but not always. Keep em on their toes fellow "bean counter". One day the world will realize that Accountants should run the world!
My mother's doctor had her take two Benadryl every night before bed for sleeping. She did this for 10 plus years. She insisted the doctor was right. She died April 6th 2020 from complications from Alzheimers.
Family & doctors should be Frontline saving our elderly & they are so many who aren't. We have a shameless society & govt lacking in decency not protecting our most vulnerable plus they get to vote on pay raises to themselves instead of our front liners saving lives even when they aren't paid enough considering the risk compared to those who run this country...it & we are the insufferable collateral damage. Vote better & get pharmaceutical lobbying out of their money buying influence.
@barbaramacdonald3128 we watched her decline for five years. She was 78 when she passed. Thankfully, she passed before all the Covid garbage was in full force so we were by her side until the end.
Statin drugs, Atorvastatin specifically, may cause premature dementia. And definitely causes brain fog and reduc3s motivation. This is in addition to insomnia and muscle pain. People taking it just feel that the symptoms are due to old age!
@barbaramacdonald3128 thanx for asking... She was going on 93 in perfect health. Unfortunately here in Cali her home value skyrocketed & rapacious old bro put her in a senior facility where she stroked out so he could grab everything from her estate before anyone got clued in to help. He's being criminally investigated for his monstrous actions towards her & others. Another DNA damaged human going all inhumane.
Yes, Magnesium has been a game changer for me too. I also use Magnesium Lotion and/or Magnesium Oil on my legs and feet before bed, and they knock me right out at bedtime, it's great.
I’ve been using Doxylamine (another antihistamine like Benadryl) for sleep, I only take half a pill, but I still would rather find something safer. I am definitely gonna try magnesium! FYI two tips: the best form of magnesium to take is magnesium glycinate and you shouldn’t take more than 350mg per day of magnesium supplement in any form.
I apprecitate this information. As a 39 year old man, I've always aimed to avoid medicating myself unecessarily and opted for a holistic method. However should a time come when I need to explore these options, it's always great to be informed.
I'd love to see more consulting pharmacists working with the elderly. I saw one when I was much younger but taking lots of meds, and she helped me considerably. I had to pay out of pocket, but worth it.
Note, benadryl when taken for immediate need if your have an allergic attack or anaphylaxis PLEASE TAKE IT, Claritin or Zyertec will NOT stop anaphylaxis .
Yep, in an emergency there’s nothing quite like Benadryl, which I’m pretty sure the Doc would agree with. She’s talking about regular use, but some people don’t distinguish between regular and occasional use.
Anaphylaxis is a medical emergency. Please call 911 if you suspect it. It can come on slow then accelerate, or erupt instantly. A Benadryl pill will not save your life, too slow. EMS has airway support and injectable meds for anaphylaxis. Do not delay. Call 911.
As a pharmacist, I'm grateful to hear you talk about all of this. It was an excellent presentation. I'd also like to thank you for mentioning pharmacists as people to talk to if a patient has questions. This stuff is our bread and butter. We look for these kinds of drug effects all the time and we're happy to help a patient figure out ways to get better results from the medications their doctors are prescribing!
I can thank a pharmacist for saving my wife a lot of grief (or worse). I showed him the list of medications and supplements (and what time of the day) she was told to take after a horrific Colon operation. He pointed out that she was prescribed too much of the Blood Pressure medication and the timing on the supplements were conflicting, because you can't take some supplements with others at the same time. Thank you.
kma3647 I am a semi-retired RN who works in a geri-psych hospital, 2 sons who are pharmacists.. who I talk to prior to starting various supplements. I am blessed to not have any medical condition which requires a script.. and even when my Dad, an OB/GYN, was put on medication, he would ask them to review the new medication along with his current medication list. Much respect❤
I had terrible brain fog and anxiety for a few years and also a lack of motivation. Little did I know it was the Detrol (Tolteradine) that I was taking for an overactive bladder causing the issue. I stopped taking it a few weeks ago; it has completely cleared up. I got my life back. I'd rather pee frequently than not have my brain working properly. Keep on going fellow warriors, there's always hope!@
I am 83. After take Benadryl for allergies and two to sleep. Also take Walgreens sleep aids. Two tablets. I showed them to my doctor. He said it was fine. He is a nice doctor but they can prescribe but know little on prevention of disease. I looked up high and low things from my blood test. Alone they don’t seem serious and doctors ignore them. When you google these these together they can be problematic. It’s like we have to be our own doctors now. Sad.
Thank you very much for your engagement and this great style of video. On point, scientific without drama, clear voice and perfect pronunciation, NO music or endless intro. As an autist I very much appreciate that. I learned a lot for me and for my parents.😊
I recently stopped clonazepam for seizures. Did not know until recently that it impairs cognitive abilities. I'll be 70 next year & my mom was also on this med and I don't want to go like THAT. Thank you. I will subscribe.
You have been such a help! I was taking several of the Anticholinergics, and had no idea that there was such a thing and that they were not good for my brain. Thank you!
Great video! I'm a nearly 70 y.o. retired healthcare provider who has been taking benadryl prn since the age of two. NOTHING else that I have tried will decrease my allergy symptoms like benadryl. Most alternatives fail to work or cause me to have a very unpleasant personality. I take 0.25 - 0.5 tabs (6.25 - 12.5mg) prn, averaging 1-2 doses per month. I take no other medications. I was concerned at the beginning of this video. But the final minute assured me that this was most likely not causing any harm. Thank you for this well organized and presented information!
I have been prescribed gabapentin by 3+ doctors for various painful conditions, especially tri germinal neuralgia. It is very effective for the pain but it wreaks havoc with my memory and cognition. After watching this video, I did some research and discovered that it is also an anticholinergic. Regretfully, I can no longer take it. Thank you for a very eye opening and helpful video. I am a new subscriber now.
Thank you so much for posting this. I was wondering about gabapentin and was surprised it didn't make the video itself. I was on it (mostly at 1800mg/day) for 6 years at it definitely took me out of my mental prime time. I wish I could sue somebody. I've weaned off completely (on my own) but my short term memory may never be the same.
@@enerjeffic I'm a nurse and was prescribed the gabapentin after a patient tried to kill me! He broke a toe, and the doctor told me gabapentin would be just great. Within 2 days I knew I would never put that in my body again. My speech was impaired, my arms and legs were twitchy....horrible drug.
My cautionary tale: was in a controlled study to test the use of high doses of dextromathorphan to control hot flashes. Did it work? - yes, but caused my brain to lose words and concepts. Dropped out of the study…obviously! Be aware that dextromathorphan is now in almost ever cold med on the market in the US. And statins also affected my memory in the same way. Be your own health advocate…you just might know more than your doctor!💕
Thank you for this warning . I couldn't find a simple list in your video but will ask my primary physician about anticholenergic drugs just in case I am on them.🎉
The statins affected me as well. I'll take a chance on the mid 70s heart attack rather than the certain ( in my case) loss of memory and early cognitive decline.
Psychedelics are just an exceptional mental health breakthrough. It's quite fascinating how effective they are against depression and anxiety. Saved my life.
Can you help with the reliable source I would really appreciate it. Many people talk about mushrooms and psychedelics but nobody talks about where to get them. Very hard to get a reliable source here in Australia. Really need!
Yes, dr.larks I have the same experience with anxiety, depression, PTSD and addiction and Mushrooms definitely made a huge huge difference to why am clean today.
Bravo!!!! This was the most amazing lecture I've encounterded on RUclips easy to follow, well paced, and TOTALLY informative. Thank you! Retired carpenter age 73.
I try and stay away from any medication. And do a 20-24 hour fast once a week, to let my body "clean" itself. Also I only let myself eat sugar 3 days a week. BOTH my parents had dementia. But I believe most of it was medication induced. I think the pharmaceutical companies has a strangle hold on a lot of Dr's.
Thank you for your kindness and honesty sharing this info……….most of us have no idea of the dangers of relying solely on doctors and the prescribed medications they give us!!
Thanks for the excellent review of commonly used medications that can effect memory. I am a board certified Interventional cardiologist. I learned quite few new facts after listening to your very clear, easily understandable podcast. One of the best educational review I have come across. I am sharing your podcast with all my family of physicians and friends.
No offense, but it's scary how little doctors, including you, a cardiologist, know of t 2:38 he side effects of medicines. Only by coming across this podcast did you become informed of this? Aren't there medical journals that keep you updated on this subject?
I am 66 and have been taking Diphenhydramine and Meclizine for over twenty years. I take care Of dementia patients and had no clue my meds were possibly setting myself up for the same thing! But this video made complete sense. I only take trazadone and celexa now. I hope trazadone is safe and am trying to get off everything. We were taught "there's a pill for that" and we took it. I'm very grateful for videos like this. Thankyou.
I am a 77-year-old retired CNM (Certified Nurse-Midwife). CNMs see all women for all their healthcare needs, through their entire childbearing years from puberty through death, not just pregnancy and childbirth. My mother developed dementia in the last years of her life. She regularly took Benadryl for sleep. Walmart's generic store brand was her go-to, and nothing I tried to tell her made her waver or ask her doctor for an alternative. I attempted to get her to start estrogen, but it was too late for that as she was more than 5 years post-menopause by the time I found out about her use of that drug. I strongly urge those women with whom I converse about the woes of menopause such as the dreaded hot flashes, not to discontinue their estrogen and to ask their Healthcare Provider for a prescription. It is (at this date, anyway) dirt cheap. It negates any hot flashes, helps keep bones from thinning (osteopenia/osteoporosis), and retains bladder function. This, in turn, negates the need for costly and messy adult diapers and protective bed sheeting in addition to embarrassment in public places like church or other social gatherings and negates the need for costly medicines for osteopenia or osteoporosis. Not peeing on yourself and avoiding a hip fracture is a big plus. The best part, though, is the retention of brain function.
My children were medicated in the 90s for what I now see as CPTSD from my divorce from their father. Now they're adults and these medications have not been studied long-term. It sounds like that may have happened to you too, as the medications are the same. They were treated for bipolar, and I no longer believe that at all. I pray daily that solutions for these drugs and their effects will soon be given to us. I believe they will.
@@muchasalud2011 , I left western medical abuse and all its dangerous drugs six years ago. By clearing my system of the plethora of dangerous and addictive drugs, I have never been healthier or happier. I no longer eat meat and take turmeric, ginger, and blk. pepper daily. I also quit eating meat aka tortured animals. I think Love is the answer. Show yourself some loving care and you'll be amazed at how loving healing takes over. My advanced arthritis that I was on pain management among other things for has reversed, and I know longer even have seasonal allergies. I try to do kind acts than can be as simple as a smile daily. Love truly is the answer, and it will save the world. Please try it, Much Love
I know this is a year old, but finally, important information that is accurate and well-stated. Decades ago as a scientist, we mapped basal forebrain cholinergic neurons and their projections to the cerebral cortex. Animals with memory deficits had reductions in the number of cholinergic neurons and more were lost in an experiment in which they were given Benadryl. Thank you for providing real medical information, so unlike much of what I read on social media.
A lot of geriatrics is pretty evergreen...the basics are not changing quickly! What really drives me a little bats is when I encounter dementia patients who are on a cholinesterase inhibitor and also still getting other anticholinergics.
This was a great wake up call for me - at 79 I've relied on Benadryl both for seasonal allergy relief and to get a good nights sleep. I've used it a lot. Never again! My cognitive functioning is still decent and I hope that I am lucky enough to have dodged a bullet by stopping now. How I wish this had been discovered and made public year ago. Thank you for doing it.
@@BetterHealthWhileAging What if I have to use it 2 days a month for premeds of my IVIG Infusions ? Im not able to use anything else . I am 68 and have Dermatomyositis since 1991 . Been on the IVIG since 1992 .
@@lilaccilla 2 days a month is not very often. Also, it sounds like you have a very important need for it and there's no reasonable alternative available. With medications, we want to make sure the likely benefits outweigh the risks. It sounds like that's the case for you.
Thanks for an excellent presentation. I am a retired physician and have noticed a disturbing trend in the use of protocols in hospice care for some of my family and for friends of my family. Specifically, the protocol is the use of Scopolamine (anticholinergic) and Morphine to "keep the patient comfortable" even when the patient is not in pain. My observation is that the patient so treated will become somnolent and will expire. I do like hospice for end of life care but it seems to me that the protocols have been used in some cases to hasten the passing of the patient without the family understanding what these protocols really mean.
Sometimes the family is at its end, as I found with my brother looking after my father... I was arguing with doctors as my father was pro life...(he was in induced coma) and my brother said No he wasn't anymore (5 years of major problems) before he went in he decided it was time(my father decision) and my brother was at his end too. ie 5 years of care it was time.
@@ntal5859I am confused by your comment. Did your father actually decide that he wanted the end of his life to be hurried up a bit because he was tired of fighting health problems? And were you in agreement with that (ending life sooner) or were you trying to get the doctor to stop overmedicating your father?
Yes, Hospice came in and killed my mother that had terminal cancer. She was doing pretty well. In some discomfort but, looking forward to a last Thanksgiving with the family. The Cancer specialist gave her a couple months...so even Christmas maybe. Hospice came in to 'supposedly' make her more comfortable. Within a couple hours she was completely comatose and died a couple hours later. The killed her. That is how I see it.
Thank you! I was on a couple prescription drugs on this list and the extended list! I was noticing brain fog and tiredness from these and slowly quit them. I noticed a big difference! Finding your list confirms my experience! I have copied the list and letting others know.
Thank you so very much. I feel like I'm young (67) enough to make a difference in my future life because of your warnings. Clear. You don't talk down to me. You have helped me.
I'm so thankful that I found your channel! Thanks for all the vital information, and thank you for all the time and energy you put into presenting it!❤️
Thank you doctor for caring for older people, This video is Exceptional in that your statements are printed on the screen while you describe the issue increasing clarification and the opportunity for a screenshot. T.U.
Such an informative and thoughtfully presented video! Even the scientific terms and concepts were clearly explained and could be understood by lay persons not familiar with geriatric or neurological medicine. Before I retired, I worked for more than 35 years in the pharmaceutical industry. This video helped me recall some long-forgotten drugs,drug classes and definitions that I once knew “in my sleep,” but now need to get reacquainted with as I age! Thank you for all you do for geriatric patients!!
Watching from South Africa. I received this link through a member on the Alzheimers support group we’re part of. I haven’t watched the entire video yet but I want to express my sincere gratitude for your compassion towards people, especially the elderly. May the Almighty GOD continue to bless and prosper you.
Meclazine, is prescribed for dizziness. But it can cause it by blocking acetylcholine. You can use it for Motionsickness, but not everyday. The Doctor is spot on.👍👍👍👍👍...
Avoid drugs, period. Docs prescribe way too many. Far as I can tell, docs have totally bought into the pharma model of medicine and know how to do only two things: prescribe drugs, often that have to be taken the rest of your life (called the subscription health plan, great for pharma not so much for you) or cut you open then prescribe drugs.
Yes you are so right i have experienced this wonts you become a cherton age they tell you have thryoid problems debetis and cholesterol problems that is what they have told me i am 78.yrars.. old and i am very fit for my age even though I say so myself
@@georgeking2369because a lot of people have those issues at that age. Partly because they haven't taken care of themselves but also because biology doesn't care if we live past reproductive age. So, if someone has those conditions, they should take the meds or they can end up like my neighbor who's losing 1 toe at a time.
Thank you I am so glad I found your videos. I am over 70 and have been talking Benadryl, Dramamine and CTM. No wonder I have been so foggy recently. I will talk to my doctor about this and be more careful in the future. Best wishes.😊
Great Video! thank you so much for educating the people. I have always been very reluctant to use medications. I'm 75 and take no medications. I am afraid of the side effects.
@@rumproast5159 me the same I'm 82 no health problems , also avoid processed foods , especially white bread and sugar 😋 only mother earth can heal mind body and soul
My mother regularly took antihistamines and decongestants for her allergies and sinus problems. She developed dementia and Alzheimer’s in her late 60’s. She was put on Aricept, which did very little, and was eventually put in a nursing home. She declined rapidly passing at 73 years old. I always suspected that is was all the OTC meds she was taking multiple times a day. Nice to find this video to confirm my thoughts. Suspecting this, I have always looked to natural ways to maintain my health. I am 62 and although I have thyroid problems and take levothyroxine, I use vitamins and other supplements to maintain good thyroid function. Research is key. The information is out there.
Thank you! Keep up the good work, please ! I have had brushes with a couple of them, hared the feeling they produced & put them aside. I would so rather a physical/ topical solution just to keep on the rails!
An excellent presentation with information clearly given. Thank you so much for this talk on an important issue. I look forward to more of your topics. A former nurse in aged care and now a senior citizen I appreciate all relevant information and advice with
Turning 80 in a couple of months and take NO meds for over 25 years. Superb memory! There is always an alternative such as meditation diet and stretching to solve any problems that arise. ❤
(Spell check won’t let me write) cataracts in your eyes? All these are man made life style problems which can be remedied or at least controlled without meds.
@@jeanetteeasson4889 several of those conditions are often not just based on lifestyle, they are genetic or environmental based. Natural treatments are always preferable if possible, but it's simply not even close to true that all conditions can be remedied or controlled without drugs
Thanks for this video. I remember reading about this more than TWENTY YEARS AGO - in "The People's Pharmacy" in my city's newspaper section. Because they often mentioned alternative methods of medicine, they were so often overlooked. Hear Hear to both of you!
The best assistance to avoid memory loss as you age is to read. Read the classics and genres you are unfamiliar with. Read every night before you sleep. Both fiction and non fiction texts will keep your vocabulary and critical thinking alive and kicking!
Thank you. When I took care of my parents, I was horrified by the attitude of most doctors to fling meds at the elderly like they were chicklets. And when I challenged most doctors, I was met with hostility.
Yep. I developed diabetes in the last roughly 2 years. I refused meds and eventually got my sugar down on my own using aloe, diet change and exercise. My doctor still wanted to put me on a low dose of meds, when I refused she told me in a nice way to go somewhere else. So I did
they want to get as much money out of them as possible. Most get way to many medications, stuff they do not need or even should never been given together. See that all the time
Because most doctors think they know everything that they are akin to God and that you are stupid because you didn't go to medical school. Well it's just not the case. I have fired many doctors on the spot due to their hostility with me because I am in no way unintelligent and I've been living in this body a long time and I know what it does. 😊
SSRI medications have their own set of side effects, especially when taken in large quantities. One of the worst is that people are Px these 'temporary medications' but are never taken off them. Anyone who takes this group of drugs for a prolonged period may well find getting off them is extremely difficult. Some patients describe a 'rebound depressive effect' which is worse than their initial depression while many others simply find it 'easier' to continue taking the medications rather than face further side effects of attempting to stop. Some drug addicts, who were also treated for depressive illnesses, have stated the withdrawal from SSRI's to be far worse than from heroin, alcohol or even the Benzodiazapines. It has often been said that elderly people will not have to deal with these effects but bearing in mind "geriatric" commences at 60-65 years and the average lifespan is now 10-20 years longer there is a definite possibility of needing to withdraw. Combinations and multiple medications is the very worst issue, in any age group. Medication should meet these criteria; Minimum dosage for maximum effect with minimum side effects. One of the problems with multiple medications is that no-one is able to tell which is doing what and when the patient complains of side effects another medication is added without removing any of the previous ones. The second worst issue is overprescribing of medications on the grounds 'more is better', or 'more beneficial', those issues are the responsibility of the prescribing physician along with the third most important issue which is educating the patient. On top of everything else there is always, I mean always, a concerted drive by drug companies to sell their particular product, with all manner of 'incentives' given to health care providers to do so. Often said 'incentives' far outweigh what might be beneficial to the patient.
I’m on a low dose of Lexapro (SSRI) and a former addict and find that everything you said is spot on, my anxiety creates a fear in me that I will once again experience the anxieties that got me on the medication in the first place,my doctor tried to raise my dosage and after 3 weeks with no change I returned to my former dosage.
Yes, I had been on antidepressants since I was 40, now 69, starting with Prozac and moving eventually to venlafaxine (efexor) for prob 25 years now. I’ve tried to get off a few times but SO difficult while trying to work. Just as you said. In the last handful of years my memory is getting bad, especially even familiar words. Any advice appreciated. And yes, l have tried counselling several times, with little benefit, in trying to get to original cause. Thankyou
Great presentation. I'm 56 and I've been prescribed hydroxyzine to help me sleep and o thought it was pretty mild on the test of my body. but then i found out about it's being an anticholinergic which exacerbated bowel problems way more than i thought. note i understand a lot more from your video so i'm going to work on other healthier ways to get a good night sleep.
Wow, this may explain why I am so incredibly sensitive to anything with Benadryl in it. I am autistic and if I have to take Benadryl or something containing it, I always take half the recommended dose because the sedative effect is so strong for me. Even taking half the dose still seems strong to me. I wonder if other people with autism have had a similar experience.
100% same. I'm autistic as well and avoid Benadryl like the plague because it makes me feel deliriously tired. I'll wind up taking three or four pills to treat the same issues that one pink pill would solve. It's uncomfortable enough that I wouldn't even dare take it for the purpose of sedation. I already have brain fog issues and it makes things way worse.
As a retired osteopathic family physician I appreciate a site like this. I have been retired long enough to have forgotten a lot of the tips that this doctor points out in her videos. And I am getting a little forgetful come to think of it. So will follow and learn things that I once knew and have forgotten or things that I wasn’t trained in during all my 44 years of continuing medical education and medical practice. Keep on keeping on. This is Good.
Many doctors have no real useful suggestions for improving sleep quality for older adults, particularly post menopausal women. Great to know which drugs are problematic but there are no suggestions of what to use in its place. Lack of sleep is also known to be bad for the brain. We all know the usual suggestions of relaxing before bed, avoiding electronics, keeping a regular bedtime, etc, but when we have nothing that works, what choice is there? Many seniors now work for a living. Gotta sleep
I'm only 38 but I don't want to get dementia when I'm older and I have enough difficulties with memory and concentration already. I can't believe I never knew about this before. I used to take diphenhydramine for sleep sometimes, I regret that now.
I am a 77-year-old retired Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM). Most CNMs have a Master's Degree (as I do) in either nursing or midwifery. Midwives are trained to offer healthcare to women from puberty until death. Those of us working in conjunction with physicians will see about half of their practice in the area of gynecology, usually about 50% of their practice. The average age of menopause is 51 years, plus a few months. Yes, you can get pregnant after 40 years of age, despite whatever folklore you may have heard. Peri-menopause usually begins in the late 30s. My advice to you, as well as every other woman, is this: DO NOT STOP ESTROGEN! If you still have a uterus, CONTINUE THE PROGESTERONE TOO. Benefits: 1) No unmanageable hot flashes, 2) With the estrogen receptors in the bladder and bladder area, no loss of bladder control that is not resolvable with a few exercises, 3) No need to buy adult diapers, because you won't pee on yourself under normal conditions, 4) Continued bone health, minimizing osteopenia/osteoporosis risk, thereby avoiding increasing your risk of a hip fracture that will land you in a nursing home, 5) Best of all, decreasing the risk of Alzheimer's or dementia, as studies have shown.
Thank you SOmuch! You and your videos have been SOumportant and of great benefit to me! My new Primary Care doctor is a big advocate of getting us older folks OFF of as many meds as possible AND I am thrilled to find that our bodies really CAN do better with its own ability to help itself with out all medications!
VERY informative! I have subscribed! (And my doctors have me on non-anticholinergic drugs. At 74, I am particularly concerned about staying mentally sharp so I can keep designing training courses and keep working!)
This doesn't happen very often anymore, I've learned something today that's actually useful to know. I'm going to have a chat with my mum later about some of the medication she's taking. Thanks
Switched from Tylenol PM. Several months ago and now use THC/CBD gummies based on recommendation from someone who also had sleep problems. Sleep better with better piece of mind.
When I was in nursing school (I never actually wound up working as a nurse) I saw that hospital patients, including older people, were often given diphenhydramine to help them sleep. It never occurred to me that there might be a problem with this, so I've used it myself, not all the time, but more than occasionally. I also figured it would help with allergy at night. No more. I went to a web site about anticholinergics and found pseudoephedrin, which I also sometimes use for allergy. Well, that goes out, too. That gives me jitters, so I won't miss it much. The one thing I now worry about is oxymetazoline spray. I haven't found it on lists of anticholinergic drugs, but I wonder about it.
@@LisaWinfield-on3hyThat is also a problem. Melatonin is a hormone your body produces. When you supplement with it, your body will stop producing it naturally.
Thank you, thank you, Dr Kernisan! I can only echo other comments below: How refreshing and educative your video is. Shout it from the rooftops! The world needs more of your good sense and well-expressed information. Getting old is such a bummer; minimizing medication and maximizing self-help and understanding through, for example, your good offices, diet, and informed decisions is what we need. I was prescribed medication for vertigo. It worked. I did the Epley maneuver. It worked. I know which one I prefer. I also know which one my doctor and pharmacy prefer. Let's question and rethink our health systems to reduce dependence on medication and encourage us to take control when and while we are able. Thank you!
OMG! This just reinorces my decision t avoid pharmaceutical drugs except IN emergent situations.....i am 80 and it has been a long road to my realization that they also kill or at least make you sick!!!!
Gabapentin is not particularly anticholinergic. However, it's an anti-seizure medication, so by definition it is designed to tamp down neuron activity. This can reduce seizures (and nerve pain) but also means the brain will function less well...so this could cause worse memory in the short term.
That's a tremendous amount of information for an older person with some (so far) minor memory issues, to remember. I had to take notes, starting and stopping numerous times.
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is that an armenian name, Kernisan ?
What about aspirin?
And coffe and
smoking?
And cannabis?
FFS, just list the medications in the description.
Please tell me what to use for chronic urticaria if antihistamines csm cause all that 😢
Yes it's me christine s
How refreshing to see an actual geriatrician who is aware of this and willing to say it outloud.
Amen
I’m only 54, and having been an otr truck driver, have seen doctors all over the country. I’m so thoroughly surprised that 90% or so of these health ‘care’ workers really don’t give 2 figs about my health. In and out. Give me your money. Sorry, no time to listen to what ails you. Insurance companies tell me to not use my own head, but do what they want.
So yes, I agree, when someone in healthcare goes against the grain by caring, I value it much too. This doctor is a goldmine
@@oooof6861.Your experiences pretty much mirror mine….I’m sad to say. Often times the “care” in healthcare is missing.
What would be refreshing is to see less fat, stupid people walking around.
they are all aware of this.
I started using Diphenhydramine in 2006 after a bone marrow transplant , I have been telling my doctor about memory loss and he never took me off those darn things. I decided to just quit using them 3 months ago. Now I am feeling much better and working to recover what was squandered - I am 57 years old. Thank you for this video.
Have you heard that recovery is possible? That is, that the potentially harmful effects can be overcome after stopping use?
My wife caught Chronic Fatigue Syndrome when she was in her late 30s. It took 10 years to find a combination of medications and activities that alleviated her most serious symptoms. These included tremendous difficulties getting to sleep and staying asleep. Part of her medication regime included melatonin and Unisom (which has the same active ingredient as Benadryl but at twice the dose). While the symptoms of CFS gradually improved and most of her medications were abandoned, she stayed on her sleep medication. Until we watched your video. It is 35 years later and we had been beginning to become alarmed at her memory difficulties. Over a period of a month we gradually weaned her off her sleep medication, and the results have been dramatic. She feels alert and seems to have regained her working memory skills. And she is also sleeping better than she has for 40 years. It’s like finally getting over a bad cold or flu, she says. Thank you for the wonderful work you are doing. We are so happy to have become subscribers. It has changed our lives.
Im no doctor but CFS, as well as insomnia and many other physical disorders like back pain has been known to be a symptom of TMS. Tension Myositis Syndrome. Its a mind body disorder written and treated by Dr. John E Sarno who has successfully treated thousands. Look into it. Many many people have totally overcome CFS and insomnia using TMS healing.
My mother was in a nursing home for several months before she died, and she was dosed up on Haldol as were apparently all the other patients in the facility. She went down hill rapidly on this psychotropic drug, quit eating, saw pink elephants etc. I found out from her family doctor they did this to make them all more manageable and sedated. When we forced them to take her off this crap she improved drastically and again became a normal human being. Several weeks later the staff doctor put her back on it claiming she was combative which her nurses denied out right. We had to threaten the doctor and nursing home management with a gross malpractice law suit in a class action suit with most of the families of the other patients. The practice finally ceased. The staff had known about the practice for a long time but were afraid to say anything in fear of losing the jobs. The nursing home was owned by five doctors in an investment group.
For those people with loved ones in nursing homes such practices appear to be common BEWARE!!
This is sad but not surprising. Haldol is an antipsychotic & I cover those in my video on 4 types of medication to avoid: ruclips.net/video/k-3BY-naQ0M/видео.html
It can take a lot of family advocacy to push back. One of our Helping Older Parents members was recently told by a facility that her 95 year old father needed antipsychotics because he had developed a serious mental illness. This was ridiculous and false; he was hard of hearing, a little cognitively impaired, and he was getting a little flustered and upset when the caregivers were rushing him. (Schizophrenia is not something that comes on at age 95). The family was able to push back but also ultimately opted to move the father to another facility, where the care has been better.
Physician (psychiatrist and functional medicine doctor) here. I'm going to say that some of the staff were afraid of losing their jobs and some of them were grateful that work was easier with sedated patients. And some of the physician investors did not care and some would have been horrified to learn of the practice. Just to stop the physician bashing.
I know. When I was looking into different long term residential care for each of my parents, they were far too often filled with residents over drugged and slumped in wheel chairs, lined up against walls in the hallways..fairly incoherent. One nurse explained that they were understaffed and consequently couldn’t properly care for the “ patients “ in the home. They drugged them so they couldn’t complain, couldn’t verbalize their needs.
You are right!! Thank you for the warning! How can it be avoided?
That's horrific.@@carynmiller1
1. Benedril
2. PM versions of over the counter anagelsics -Tylenol PM, etc
3. Ditropan, Detrol,Vesicare
4. Antivert, dramamine
5. anti itch meds
6. nerve pain meds, tricylic antidepressants,
7. muscle relaxers , flexeril, paxil
Watch the whole thing
Thank you !
Also Unisom, doxylamine succinate.
Super helpful..thx‼️
No statins! The list is flawed
This is why I'd rather have a Rx for zolpidem. Safer than these harsh medications.
I am 75, and managed to stop my meds four years ago (blood pressure and sugar, arthritis, acid reflux etc) by changing my diet. Maybe the day will come when I have to start meds again but I don't consider it 'normal' as you can read so often, to be taking meds when you get older.
Going off-topic, I went Keto.. . also not really relevant, but I ran my first (very slow) marathon recently.
Good for you! Well done.
WAY TO GO!!!!!
I admire you.
I guess you are genetically fit to handle the high fat keto diet 😜
@@mindmybusynassm1645 I was genetically unfit to handle the high quantities of carbohydrates that are generally recommended as 'healthy'. Anyway, you missed the point about Keto so I'll leave it there.
I'm an 84 yr old gal and just found you. Thank you for making these RUclips videos. So helpful. I subscribed and will be reviewing your past videos. Yay!
As an 80 year young woman, i have always felt people, mostly the elderly, overdose on medication. Supplements work fine for me - curcumin for pain, fish oil, garlic, ginger etc. Thank you Doctor.
Oh dear...
As a geriatric and a nurse I wholeheartedly agree.
@@marilynhadley322 it's reassuring to hear a professional agree. Thank you 💕
Thank you so much. I try to avoid meds and practice healthy lifestyle as first line of defends. Happy for professional researched based consulting. We can sometimes run from the FRYING pan into the fire. Unfortunately, pharmacy centric medical practices have over taken health care and personal responsibility.
unfortunately, supplements are not effective in many instances
Thank you so much for your videos. I'm 70 and was diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment. So, I'm always looking for good information to help me understand what that is and what can help slow it down. Dementia runs in my family. Doctors have no time for you anymore and you get 20-minute visits that turn out to be 10 -15 minutes because of the interruptions. You are so kind to share your knowledge and experience. It's much better than seeing my neurologist.
Ask your pharmacist to make sure you would have no medicine conflicts, but if you have brain fog, brain fatigue, focus issues, try B2 including adding extra if you are already taking a Complex B vitamin, which is good to do too. The B2 really helps with brain fog, fatigue and boosts a bit energy
and migraines too
@@sagapoetic8990 yes , was prescribed B2 , Magnesium and CoQ10 for migraines by my neurologist who specializes in migraines . Very effective
My husband is a pharmacist and he used to do consulting for nursing homes. All he was doing was looking at patient charts looking for drug interactions. All I can say is if you have family in care homes you need to have their medications checked. Some people see up to 10 different doctors and they may not remember all of their meds or whatever the reason. Take their med list to their pharmacist, not just their doctor, ask them to look at the list for any interactions.
Partial list….Anticholinergic: Beers List: 1. antihistamines (Benadryl), 2. PM versions of Tylenol, NyQuil, Advil, 3. Meds for overactive bladder, oxybutynin, tolterodine, 4. For vertigo, Morison sickness, nausea: Meclizine, Dramine 5. For itching: Benadryl, Vistrial 6. For nerve pain, shingles: older class antidepressant 7. Muscle relaxers: Flexeril 8. For depression or anxiety: SSRI: Paxil
Most over the counter sleep aids are diphenhydramine, which is what Benadryl is. The allergy dose is 25mg, the sleeping dose is 50mg. It's also the ingredient most commonly used in PM pain relief.
And Wellbutrin.
Dan ex: Thanks for listing these for us
How about carbamazepine er? Was prescribed for trigeminal nerve pain daily.
Morison sickness? I think that's "motion sickness." Dramamine?
So, how many of us are taking pills for the pills? No wonder the thought of throwing ALL the bottles away and just living the rest of my life without medication is always on my mind. There was a time when I had four doctors, each a specialist. I got so frustrated because I could not get them to communicate with each other about me. At times, I got conflicting information. I finally gave up. Now, I only see my primary doctor and always wonder if I am getting the best advice. The world of medicine and medication is a crap shoot.
Health care in the US is horrid all the way around! It's not just the doctors; it's the whole structure, from medical schools to, now, corporations. Exceptionalism is not America.
Time to see a functional medicine doctor .
Altanative treatment
“…and always wonder if I’m getting the best advice?”
Very respectively said, you’re not. The medical field is today is corrupt. Medicine today is just best on maximizing profits.
What are doctors without patients? Doctors treat the symptom, but never the cure. Even good doctors are forced into this system.
The alternative is to go to a all natural holistic healer , no meds been doing it 45 yrs , only had to change my diet , processed foods are as harmful as pharmaceutical meds , dump then the body heals it's self , and gets better every day 😉 😀 😄 👍 😜
Am a retired nurse. I did take Benadryl for a while for a sleep aide until I read an article citing what you just said. Have not used it for a long time now. This was an excellent informative video. Thank you
Ugh took pm meds for years. Hope the memory loss I have isn't permanent
Did you experience a decline in brain function, and did it return after you stopped?
I occasionally take a small amount of ZzzQuil (which I have read is Benadryl), to sleep but I do not take the recommended amount. Using their plastic cap, I take about as much as the thickness of a penny. With this stuff, I reach REM while sleeping and it deadens my tinnitus. It has had no ill-effects on my memory.
What did you say again, I already forgot due to the Med's that I am taking.
Exercise will help your memory
Your video is life changing. I have been taking Benadryl and Melatonin for insomnia for years. Two years ago after Covid, I developed Long Covid. It is very odd that it hit the part of my brain that remembers names and vocabulary. I am a bit disappointed that my doctors never told me about what you are saying. Thank you and God bless you.
Oh thank you, David
I am senior caretaker, and thank you very much for your video. Nobody, never told us this about anticolinergics.
Thank you for taking the time to provide this video. I am 76. I cannot imagine that anyone in my age group would not find this incredibly useful and important. again, thanks!
Scares me to death..ugh. I take something every night. Now Im worried sick. My dad had alzheimers and he didn't take any drugs his entire 89 years of life. I'm a caffeine, dramamine, tylenol pm junky. I must be almost gone by now at 75. My mother is 95 and never took pills either. She wouldn't even give me children's aspirin when I was a teenager. She told me if I had a headache she would take me to the Doctor to find out why. Now I think she was right all along.
Don't worry! Just change your regimen now that you know.
63 yrs old.
I went for minor surgery.
They asked for a "drug list"
I didn't even know that is a thing.
People my own age are always surprised I do not take medication.
I eat red meat, drink water, black coffee or tea.
I don't eat any food that is in a box or can.
No soda or sugar . No alcohol or anything like that.
No weed or cigarettes.
Good for you
Avoid booze, sugar, coffee
Does being sedentary increase the risk of consuming anticholinergics?
@jimthompson717 black coffee or tea is fine.
As long as it's not instant coffee or tea of course.
It's the sugars and cream chemicals that are harmful.
Coffee 12 hours before bedtime is fine
@@UncleWally3 I'm not an expert, but it is probably better to be as active as possible
Several years ago my doctor prescribed Oxybutynin. This drug made me stupid. The "brain fog" was extremely disconcerting. I was lucky to realize the medication was the obvious recent change and the issue resolved immediately when I stopped taking it. I discussed it with my Dr at the next visit, and she prescribed the exact same medication again. I stopped seeing her and didn't bother filling the prescription. It's absolutely disturbing such drugs are allowed.
Thanks for mentioning that. I looked it up and it's on the list of brain mess-up drugs to avoid. I was also prescribed it for a short time.
I have a drawer full of rx's I won't take cause they give massive hangover.
Sometimes it is really important to do your homework. Look your drugs up. If any of them are dangerous and ineffective stop taking them!
Eat a little of the best foods you can find a drink a lot of clean water. Get more exercise. Stay clean. Go outside everyday. Turn the dang TV OFF! 😂😂
American 'medicine' is profit oriented.
Wake up. Feel better. Live longer.
just b/c an M.D. prescribes a drug to their patient doesn't mean you have to take it. Look it up, ask questions, do your homework.
So is Olanzapine, or any other so called second generation Anti psycotic medication. It has a list of side effects but one of them is brain fog.
I recently finished a year long withdrawal from Amitriptyline, which I've taken for nerve pain, at 100mg/day or more, for over 10 years. At 69 I did my own research and learned that my significant brain fog and memory loss were likely attributable to the medication. I'm now using a different medication and feel like I have been given a healthy brain and a new life! Thank you for sharing this life changing information.
What is the different medication you are now using? I would like to stop amitriptyline for migraine but nothing else seems to work for me.
@@keithwilkinson5707 My issues have to do with nerve pain, which Amitriptyline kept in check at the cost of 10 years of being engaged in life. I am now taking Cymbalta, which is doing the trick for my nerve pain. However, I also have a history of migraines, which over the last 10 years have diminished to fewer than 3 a year. ... until I stopped Amitriptyline. I now get very mild migraines - maybe 10 a year. I can manage them with ibuprofen, but have come to assume their return is due to stopping Amitriptyline. Bottom line though, I wouldn't go back to Amitriptyline for the world. I have my life back again. Best wishes for you.
As a Dr myself,I am aware of the problems associated with anticholinergics. I am concerned about vertigo in the elderly. If a patient falls because of the dizziness, that is by far the more serious problem, often leading to an early death. I’m just not sure how long to treat someone safely in that setting. Exercises are often not possible in the older population. Thank you.
My friend tripped on her carpet with vertigo, breaking her neck.
Becoming disabled and bedridden.
This is so important and underreported. I am a non-clinical (accountant) in a nursing home and regularly see these medications being used with our residents. Then the clinical team act surprised when the residents become more confused and exhibit worsening dementia and balance issues. I have asked all of them to look into this, but they blindly follow the visiting physicians orders without question or advocacy. Also, shame on these doctors that "specialize" in geriatrics and proscribe anticholinergics rather than alternatives that are many times just as effective.
I found out these drugs are not good at any age for certain people.
Bravo Accountant. As a CPA, I've had to alter direction of my mom's medical treatment twice. I'd assume the doctors would implement the best treatment process, but not always. Keep em on their toes fellow "bean counter". One day the world will realize that Accountants should run the world!
Docs just cash the checks, that's all. I don't trust them and take everything they say with skepticism.
all you need to do is check the medication online.
@@wasntme777 it still doesn’t tell you how it will affect you though. Just what you might experience
My mother's doctor had her take two Benadryl every night before bed for sleeping. She did this for 10 plus years. She insisted the doctor was right. She died April 6th 2020 from complications from Alzheimers.
How old was your mom? It's hard to lose a mom.
Family & doctors should be Frontline saving our elderly & they are so many who aren't.
We have a shameless society & govt lacking in decency not protecting our most vulnerable plus they get to vote on pay raises to themselves instead of our front liners saving lives even when they aren't paid enough considering the risk compared to those who run this country...it & we are the insufferable collateral damage.
Vote better & get pharmaceutical lobbying out of their money buying influence.
@barbaramacdonald3128 we watched her decline for five years. She was 78 when she passed. Thankfully, she passed before all the Covid garbage was in full force so we were by her side until the end.
Statin drugs, Atorvastatin specifically, may cause premature dementia. And definitely causes brain fog and reduc3s motivation. This is in addition to insomnia and muscle pain. People taking it just feel that the symptoms are due to old age!
@barbaramacdonald3128 thanx for asking...
She was going on 93 in perfect health.
Unfortunately here in Cali her home value skyrocketed & rapacious old bro put her in a senior facility where she stroked out so he could grab everything from her estate before anyone got clued in to help. He's being criminally investigated for his monstrous actions towards her & others.
Another DNA damaged human going all inhumane.
I didn't think that I could sleep without my benedryl, but I started taking magnesium glycinate and I sleep like a baby!
Yes, Magnesium has been a game changer for me too. I also use Magnesium Lotion and/or Magnesium Oil on my legs and feet before bed, and they knock me right out at bedtime, it's great.
I’ve been using Doxylamine (another antihistamine like Benadryl) for sleep, I only take half a pill, but I still would rather find something safer. I am definitely gonna try magnesium! FYI two tips: the best form of magnesium to take is magnesium glycinate and you shouldn’t take more than 350mg per day of magnesium supplement in any form.
I apprecitate this information. As a 39 year old man, I've always aimed to avoid medicating myself unecessarily and opted for a holistic method. However should a time come when I need to explore these options, it's always great to be informed.
I'd love to see more consulting pharmacists working with the elderly. I saw one when I was much younger but taking lots of meds, and she helped me considerably. I had to pay out of pocket, but worth it.
Note, benadryl when taken for immediate need if your have an allergic attack or anaphylaxis PLEASE TAKE IT, Claritin or Zyertec will NOT stop anaphylaxis .
Yep, in an emergency there’s nothing quite like Benadryl, which I’m pretty sure the Doc would agree with. She’s talking about regular use, but some people don’t distinguish between regular and occasional use.
True and she did mention that she’s talking about regular usage for chronic conditions rather than occasional use.
@@annettefertitta6868 I realize she said that.
Very helpful lecture. Thank you.👍
Anaphylaxis is a medical emergency. Please call 911 if you suspect it. It can come on slow then accelerate, or erupt instantly. A Benadryl pill will not save your life, too slow. EMS has airway support and injectable meds for anaphylaxis. Do not delay. Call 911.
I've always suffered from dry skin. I also now have very dry eyes. I have ground flaxseed daily, which works really well for both.
@@muchasalud2011flaxseed and chia seed are best.
Wash just with warm to hot water, no soap.
As a pharmacist, I'm grateful to hear you talk about all of this. It was an excellent presentation. I'd also like to thank you for mentioning pharmacists as people to talk to if a patient has questions. This stuff is our bread and butter. We look for these kinds of drug effects all the time and we're happy to help a patient figure out ways to get better results from the medications their doctors are prescribing!
Learned from a good Doctor very young to always ask the pharmacist!
Wish doctors were as well informed as pharmacists.
I can thank a pharmacist for saving my wife a lot of grief (or worse). I showed him the list of medications and supplements (and what time of the day) she was told to take after a horrific Colon operation. He pointed out that she was prescribed too much of the Blood Pressure medication and the timing on the supplements were conflicting, because you can't take some supplements with others at the same time. Thank you.
@@ebuick3047God Bless a pharmacist that truly cares !
kma3647 I am a semi-retired RN who works in a geri-psych hospital, 2 sons who are pharmacists.. who I talk to prior to starting various supplements. I am blessed to not have any medical condition which requires a script.. and even when my Dad, an OB/GYN, was put on medication, he would ask them to review the new medication along with his current medication list. Much respect❤
Thanks for such comprehensive information.
I had terrible brain fog and anxiety for a few years and also a lack of motivation. Little did I know it was the Detrol (Tolteradine) that I was taking for an overactive bladder causing the issue. I stopped taking it a few weeks ago; it has completely cleared up. I got my life back. I'd rather pee frequently than not have my brain working properly. Keep on going fellow warriors, there's always hope!@
More people need to see this video, including doctors.
Exactly right 💯
@@marilynhudson5805🎉 no no no
Doctors jobs are to push drugs!
Millionaires don't give a hoot about less unfortunate People
@@agnolatrotman7562 YEA🙂
I am 83. After take Benadryl for allergies and two to sleep. Also take Walgreens sleep aids. Two tablets. I showed them to my doctor. He said it was fine. He is a nice doctor but they can prescribe but know little on prevention of disease. I looked up high and low things from my blood test. Alone they don’t seem serious and doctors ignore them. When you google these these together they can be problematic. It’s like we have to be our own doctors now. Sad.
I think maybe it’s always been this way. You’re doing good work👍🏻
Don’t know what you mean I’m doing good work. Should I continue to use Benadryl and over the counter sleep aids daily. So is that o.k.
@@gloriagolemboski4515 I would say "no".
Thank you very much for your engagement and this great style of video. On point, scientific without drama, clear voice and perfect pronunciation, NO music or endless intro. As an autist I very much appreciate that. I learned a lot for me and for my parents.😊
So true about "endless intro". lol. Some content creatures can over do it with graphics and intro music. I fast forward asap. Very annoying.
I recently stopped clonazepam for seizures. Did not know until recently
that it impairs cognitive abilities. I'll be 70 next year & my mom was also
on this med and I don't want to go like THAT. Thank you. I will subscribe.
You have been such a help! I was taking several of the Anticholinergics, and had no idea that there was such a thing and that they were not good for my brain. Thank you!
You are so welcome!
Great video! I'm a nearly 70 y.o. retired healthcare provider who has been taking benadryl prn since the age of two. NOTHING else that I have tried will decrease my allergy symptoms like benadryl. Most alternatives fail to work or cause me to have a very unpleasant personality. I take 0.25 - 0.5 tabs (6.25 - 12.5mg) prn, averaging 1-2 doses per month. I take no other medications. I was concerned at the beginning of this video. But the final minute assured me that this was most likely not causing any harm. Thank you for this well organized and presented information!
I have been prescribed gabapentin by 3+ doctors for various painful conditions, especially tri germinal neuralgia. It is very effective for the pain but it wreaks havoc with my memory and cognition. After watching this video, I did some research and discovered that it is also an anticholinergic. Regretfully, I can no longer take it. Thank you for a very eye opening and helpful video. I am a new subscriber now.
Thank you so much for posting this. I was wondering about gabapentin and was surprised it didn't make the video itself. I was on it (mostly at 1800mg/day) for 6 years at it definitely took me out of my mental prime time. I wish I could sue somebody. I've weaned off completely (on my own) but my short term memory may never be the same.
@@enerjeffic I'm a nurse and was prescribed the gabapentin after a patient tried to kill me! He broke a toe, and the doctor told me gabapentin would be just great. Within 2 days I knew I would never put that in my body again. My speech was impaired, my arms and legs were twitchy....horrible drug.
Im glad you posted this. Ive been rx it for both trigeminal neuralgia and lyme disease
My cautionary tale: was in a controlled study to test the use of high doses of dextromathorphan to control hot flashes. Did it work? - yes, but caused my brain to lose words and concepts. Dropped out of the study…obviously! Be aware that dextromathorphan is now in almost ever cold med on the market in the US. And statins also affected my memory in the same way.
Be your own health advocate…you just might know more than your doctor!💕
Thank you for this warning . I couldn't find a simple list in your video but will ask my primary physician about anticholenergic drugs just in case I am on them.🎉
Google levomethorphan
@@katecavell7969 - Follow the link in the description for the longer article. There's a link in that article to the list.
The statins affected me as well. I'll take a chance on the mid 70s heart attack rather than the certain ( in my case) loss of memory and early cognitive decline.
@@George-m8z 👍🏼!!!! 💕
Psychedelics are just an exceptional mental health breakthrough. It's quite fascinating how effective they are against depression and anxiety. Saved my life.
Can you help with the reliable source I would really appreciate it. Many people talk about mushrooms and psychedelics but nobody talks about where to get them. Very hard to get a reliable source here in Australia. Really need!
Yes, dr.larks I have the same experience with anxiety, depression, PTSD and addiction and Mushrooms definitely made a huge huge difference to why am clean today.
Anxiety happens when you think you have to figure out everything all at once.
Breathe. You're strong. You got this Take it day by
day.
Is he on instagram?
Yes he is. dr.larks
Bravo!!!! This was the most amazing lecture I've encounterded on RUclips easy to follow, well paced, and TOTALLY informative. Thank you! Retired carpenter age 73.
Thank you….many doctors are clueless about treating seniors and give the wrong meds.
Many are clueless about everything
BTW, you have a very calming voice. Helps lessen my anxiety.
I try and stay away from any medication. And do a 20-24 hour fast once a week, to let my body "clean" itself. Also I only let myself eat sugar 3 days a week. BOTH my parents had dementia. But I believe most of it was medication induced. I think the pharmaceutical companies has a strangle hold on a lot of Dr's.
Thank you for your kindness and honesty sharing this info……….most of us have no idea of the dangers of relying solely on doctors and the prescribed medications they give us!!
THANK YOU FOR STEPPING UP WITH INFORMATION ABOUT THIS ISSUE!!
Thanks for the excellent review of commonly used medications that can effect memory. I am a board certified Interventional cardiologist. I learned quite few new facts after listening to your very clear, easily understandable podcast. One of the best educational review I have come across. I am sharing your podcast with all my family of physicians and friends.
"Effect"?
Thank you!
👏
No offense, but it's scary how little doctors, including you, a cardiologist, know of t 2:38 he side effects of medicines. Only by coming across this podcast did you become informed of this? Aren't there medical journals that keep you updated on this subject?
20:22 n.
I am 66 and have been taking Diphenhydramine and Meclizine for over twenty years. I take care Of dementia patients and had no clue my meds were possibly setting myself up for the same thing! But this video made complete sense.
I only take trazadone and celexa now. I hope trazadone is safe and am trying to get off everything. We were taught "there's a pill for that" and we took it.
I'm very grateful for videos like this. Thankyou.
I am a 77-year-old retired CNM (Certified Nurse-Midwife). CNMs see all women for all their healthcare needs, through their entire childbearing years from puberty through death, not just pregnancy and childbirth. My mother developed dementia in the last years of her life. She regularly took Benadryl for sleep. Walmart's generic store brand was her go-to, and nothing I tried to tell her made her waver or ask her doctor for an alternative. I attempted to get her to start estrogen, but it was too late for that as she was more than 5 years post-menopause by the time I found out about her use of that drug. I strongly urge those women with whom I converse about the woes of menopause such as the dreaded hot flashes, not to discontinue their estrogen and to ask their Healthcare Provider for a prescription. It is (at this date, anyway) dirt cheap. It negates any hot flashes, helps keep bones from thinning (osteopenia/osteoporosis), and retains bladder function. This, in turn, negates the need for costly and messy adult diapers and protective bed sheeting in addition to embarrassment in public places like church or other social gatherings and negates the need for costly medicines for osteopenia or osteoporosis. Not peeing on yourself and avoiding a hip fracture is a big plus. The best part, though, is the retention of brain function.
My children were medicated in the 90s for what I now see as CPTSD from my divorce from their father. Now they're adults and these medications have not been studied long-term. It sounds like that may have happened to you too, as the medications are the same. They were treated for bipolar, and I no longer believe that at all. I pray daily that solutions for these drugs and their effects will soon be given to us. I believe they will.
I also take Trazodone- I am having slight memory problems which concern me. I’m 67 and have always been sharp as a tack...
@@muchasalud2011 , I left western medical abuse and all its dangerous drugs six years ago. By clearing my system of the plethora of dangerous and addictive drugs, I have never been healthier or happier. I no longer eat meat and take turmeric, ginger, and blk. pepper daily. I also quit eating meat aka tortured animals. I think Love is the answer. Show yourself some loving care and you'll be amazed at how loving healing takes over. My advanced arthritis that I was on pain management among other things for has reversed, and I know longer even have seasonal allergies. I try to do kind acts than can be as simple as a smile daily. Love truly is the answer, and it will save the world. Please try it, Much Love
@@edie4321 ❤👍
I know this is a year old, but finally, important information that is accurate and well-stated. Decades ago as a scientist, we mapped basal forebrain cholinergic neurons and their projections to the cerebral cortex. Animals with memory deficits had reductions in the number of cholinergic neurons and more were lost in an experiment in which they were given Benadryl. Thank you for providing real medical information, so unlike much of what I read on social media.
A lot of geriatrics is pretty evergreen...the basics are not changing quickly! What really drives me a little bats is when I encounter dementia patients who are on a cholinesterase inhibitor and also still getting other anticholinergics.
This was a great wake up call for me - at 79 I've relied on Benadryl both for seasonal allergy relief and to get a good nights sleep. I've used it a lot. Never again! My cognitive functioning is still decent and I hope that I am lucky enough to have dodged a bullet by stopping now. How I wish this had been discovered and made public year ago. Thank you for doing it.
@@BetterHealthWhileAging What if I have to use it 2 days a month for premeds of my IVIG Infusions ? Im not able to use anything else . I am 68 and have Dermatomyositis since 1991 . Been on the IVIG since 1992 .
@@lilaccilla 2 days a month is not very often. Also, it sounds like you have a very important need for it and there's no reasonable alternative available. With medications, we want to make sure the likely benefits outweigh the risks. It sounds like that's the case for you.
I would have thought that would be only possible u see Adolf...hm. learning never ends
Very good information, she goes on and on and starts listing what to avoid at about 7:30
Thank you Dr. K for sharing this information.
Thanks for an excellent presentation. I am a retired physician and have noticed a disturbing trend in the use of protocols in hospice care for some of my family and for friends of my family. Specifically, the protocol is the use of Scopolamine (anticholinergic) and Morphine to "keep the patient comfortable" even when the patient is not in pain. My observation is that the patient so treated will become somnolent and will expire. I do like hospice for end of life care but it seems to me that the protocols have been used in some cases to hasten the passing of the patient without the family understanding what these protocols really mean.
Sometimes the family is at its end, as I found with my brother looking after my father... I was arguing with doctors as my father was pro life...(he was in induced coma) and my brother said No he wasn't anymore (5 years of major problems) before he went in he decided it was time(my father decision) and my brother was at his end too. ie 5 years of care it was time.
I have watched this happen over and over!
Our health care disappeared a long time ago.
😂😂😂😂😂
@@ntal5859 what are you talking about?
@@ntal5859I am confused by your comment. Did your father actually decide that he wanted the end of his life to be hurried up a bit because he was tired of fighting health problems? And were you in agreement with that (ending life sooner) or were you trying to get the doctor to stop overmedicating your father?
Yes, Hospice came in and killed my mother that had terminal cancer. She was doing pretty well. In some discomfort but, looking forward to a last Thanksgiving with the family. The Cancer specialist gave her a couple months...so even Christmas maybe. Hospice came in to 'supposedly' make her more comfortable. Within a couple hours she was completely comatose and died a couple hours later. The killed her. That is how I see it.
Thank you! I was on a couple prescription drugs on this list and the extended list! I was noticing brain fog and tiredness from these and slowly quit them. I noticed a big difference! Finding your list confirms my experience! I have copied the list and letting others know.
Thank you so very much. I feel like I'm young (67) enough to make a difference in my future life because of your warnings. Clear. You don't talk down to me. You have helped me.
I'm so thankful that I found your channel! Thanks for all the vital information, and thank you for all the time and energy you put into presenting it!❤️
🎉
Thank you doctor for caring for older people, This video is Exceptional in that your statements are printed on the screen while you describe the issue increasing clarification and the opportunity for a screenshot. T.U.
Keep the good work, dear Doctor. Thanks for really caring after aging people.
Such an informative and thoughtfully presented video! Even the scientific terms and concepts were clearly explained and could be understood by lay persons not familiar with geriatric or neurological medicine. Before I retired, I worked for more than 35 years in the pharmaceutical industry. This video helped me recall some long-forgotten drugs,drug classes and definitions that I once knew “in my sleep,” but now need to get reacquainted with as I age! Thank you for all you do for geriatric patients!!
😅
Watching from South Africa. I received this link through a member on the Alzheimers support group we’re part of. I haven’t watched the entire video yet but I want to express my sincere gratitude for your compassion towards people, especially the elderly. May the Almighty GOD continue to bless and prosper you.
My dad, in his 80s (RIP Feb/2023 at 88) had notable dementia, and they still put him on meclizine etc. He had a Geriatrician too!
Meclazine, is prescribed for dizziness. But it can cause it by blocking acetylcholine. You can use it for Motionsickness, but not everyday. The Doctor is spot on.👍👍👍👍👍...
Avoid drugs, period. Docs prescribe way too many. Far as I can tell, docs have totally bought into the pharma model of medicine and know how to do only two things: prescribe drugs, often that have to be taken the rest of your life (called the subscription health plan, great for pharma not so much for you) or cut you open then prescribe drugs.
Yep, you are right on target.
Yes you are so right i have experienced this wonts you become a cherton age they tell you have thryoid problems debetis and cholesterol problems that is what they have told me i am 78.yrars.. old and i am very fit for my age even though I say so myself
We are at fault too. Many people I know demand a medication from their doctor.
@@bevwest7428 They've been conditioned by pharma and their past experience with docs. Incentives count.
@@georgeking2369because a lot of people have those issues at that age. Partly because they haven't taken care of themselves but also because biology doesn't care if we live past reproductive age. So, if someone has those conditions, they should take the meds or they can end up like my neighbor who's losing 1 toe at a time.
Thank you I am so glad I found your videos. I am over 70 and have been talking Benadryl, Dramamine and CTM. No wonder I have been so foggy recently. I will talk to my doctor about this and be more careful in the future. Best wishes.😊
Great Video! thank you so much for educating the people. I have always been very reluctant to use medications. I'm 75 and take no medications. I am afraid of the side effects.
Me too! I am 80 and take zero medications. Don’t trust big Pharma
SMART
I’m 72 and I also take no meds. Not even over the counter meds other than aspirin occasionally. All medications have side effects. Even asprin.
@@rumproast5159 me the same I'm 82 no health problems , also avoid processed foods , especially white bread and sugar 😋 only mother earth can heal mind body and soul
My mother regularly took antihistamines and decongestants for her allergies and sinus problems. She developed dementia and Alzheimer’s in her late 60’s. She was put on Aricept, which did very little, and was eventually put in a nursing home. She declined rapidly passing at 73 years old. I always suspected that is was all the OTC meds she was taking multiple times a day. Nice to find this video to confirm my thoughts. Suspecting this, I have always looked to natural ways to maintain my health. I am 62 and although I have thyroid problems and take levothyroxine, I use vitamins and other supplements to maintain good thyroid function. Research is key. The information is out there.
Thank you! Keep up the good work, please ! I have had brushes with a couple of them, hared the feeling they produced & put them aside. I would so rather a physical/ topical solution just to keep on the rails!
An excellent presentation with information clearly given. Thank you so much for this talk on an important issue. I look forward to more of your topics. A former nurse in aged care and now a senior citizen I appreciate all relevant information and advice
with
Turning 80 in a couple of months and take NO meds for over 25 years. Superb memory! There is always an alternative such as meditation diet and stretching to solve any problems that arise. ❤
Lucky you, some of us have no choice
@@mickleblade High blood pressure? Insulin resistance (type2diabetes)? Fibromyalgia?
Sciatica? Cancer? Autoimmune disease?
Calcified or ruptured spinal discs? Macramé degenerate
(Spell check won’t let me write) cataracts in your eyes? All these are man made life style problems which can be remedied or at least controlled without meds.
@@jeanetteeasson4889 MS, low blood platelets
@@jeanetteeasson4889 several of those conditions are often not just based on lifestyle, they are genetic or environmental based. Natural treatments are always preferable if possible, but it's simply not even close to true that all conditions can be remedied or controlled without drugs
This video and subject is very helpful and hardly ever talked about. Thank you
Thanks for this video. I remember reading about this more than TWENTY YEARS AGO - in "The People's Pharmacy" in my city's newspaper section. Because they often mentioned alternative methods of medicine, they were so often overlooked. Hear Hear to both of you!
The best assistance to avoid memory loss as you age is to read. Read the classics and genres you are unfamiliar with. Read every night before you sleep. Both fiction and non fiction texts will keep your vocabulary and critical thinking alive and kicking!
And playing chess
Thank you. When I took care of my parents, I was horrified by the attitude of most doctors to fling meds at the elderly like they were chicklets. And when I challenged most doctors, I was met with hostility.
Yep. I developed diabetes in the last roughly 2 years. I refused meds and eventually got my sugar down on my own using aloe, diet change and exercise. My doctor still wanted to put me on a low dose of meds, when I refused she told me in a nice way to go somewhere else. So I did
they want to get as much money out of them as possible. Most get way to many medications, stuff they do not need or even should never been given together. See that all the time
@@bornonthesun👍👍👍
It’s all about $$$$.
Because most doctors think they know everything that they are akin to God and that you are stupid because you didn't go to medical school. Well it's just not the case.
I have fired many doctors on the spot due to their hostility with me because I am in no way unintelligent and I've been living in this body a long time and I know what it does.
😊
SSRI medications have their own set of side effects, especially when taken in large quantities. One of the worst is that people are Px these 'temporary medications' but are never taken off them. Anyone who takes this group of drugs for a prolonged period may well find getting off them is extremely difficult. Some patients describe a 'rebound depressive effect' which is worse than their initial depression while many others simply find it 'easier' to continue taking the medications rather than face further side effects of attempting to stop. Some drug addicts, who were also treated for depressive illnesses, have stated the withdrawal from SSRI's to be far worse than from heroin, alcohol or even the Benzodiazapines. It has often been said that elderly people will not have to deal with these effects but bearing in mind "geriatric" commences at 60-65 years and the average lifespan is now 10-20 years longer there is a definite possibility of needing to withdraw.
Combinations and multiple medications is the very worst issue, in any age group. Medication should meet these criteria; Minimum dosage for maximum effect with minimum side effects. One of the problems with multiple medications is that no-one is able to tell which is doing what and when the patient complains of side effects another medication is added without removing any of the previous ones. The second worst issue is overprescribing of medications on the grounds 'more is better', or 'more beneficial', those issues are the responsibility of the prescribing physician along with the third most important issue which is educating the patient.
On top of everything else there is always, I mean always, a concerted drive by drug companies to sell their particular product, with all manner of 'incentives' given to health care providers to do so. Often said 'incentives' far outweigh what might be beneficial to the patient.
I’m on a low dose of Lexapro (SSRI) and a former addict and find that everything you said is spot on, my anxiety creates a fear in me that I will once again experience the anxieties that got me on the medication in the first place,my doctor tried to raise my dosage and after 3 weeks with no change I returned to my former dosage.
Your absolutely right antidepressants over prescribed,cause depict vitamin D,increase cholesterol, ALT just to name a few.
Yes, I had been on antidepressants since I was 40, now 69, starting with Prozac and moving eventually to venlafaxine (efexor) for prob 25 years now.
I’ve tried to get off a few times but SO difficult while trying to work. Just as you said. In the last handful of years my memory is getting bad, especially even familiar words.
Any advice appreciated. And yes, l have tried counselling several times, with little benefit, in trying to get to original cause.
Thankyou
Very well presented and informative. You just opened my eyes to a potential health issue that I was here-to-for unaware of. Thank you!
Great content! So much important information that needs to be put in front of our senior population! Thank You!!!
Great presentation. I'm 56 and I've been prescribed hydroxyzine to help me sleep and o thought it was pretty mild on the test of my body. but then i found out about it's being an anticholinergic which exacerbated bowel problems way more than i thought. note i understand a lot more from your video so i'm going to work on other healthier ways to get a good night sleep.
Wow, this may explain why I am so incredibly sensitive to anything with Benadryl in it. I am autistic and if I have to take Benadryl or something containing it, I always take half the recommended dose because the sedative effect is so strong for me. Even taking half the dose still seems strong to me. I wonder if other people with autism have had a similar experience.
I take half doses of Children's Benadryl
100% same. I'm autistic as well and avoid Benadryl like the plague because it makes me feel deliriously tired. I'll wind up taking three or four pills to treat the same issues that one pink pill would solve. It's uncomfortable enough that I wouldn't even dare take it for the purpose of sedation. I already have brain fog issues and it makes things way worse.
Yea, I am self diagnosed autistic and can't take Benadryl due to extreme sedation effects and the feeling of alin crawling.
I'm autistic and I have to take 50mg-75mg of Benadryl for it to have a sedative effect. Taking one tablet does nothing.
ADHD, and yes most definately- can't take it at all
Thank you, Doctor, for this very helpful and informative talk.
As a retired osteopathic family physician I appreciate a site like this. I have been retired long enough to have forgotten a lot of the tips that this doctor points out in her videos. And I am getting a little forgetful come to think of it. So will follow and learn things that I once knew and have forgotten or things that I wasn’t trained in during all my 44 years of continuing medical education and medical practice. Keep on keeping on. This is Good.
Good info and a smart brain to present all this and still easy to for us to understand.
Many doctors have no real useful suggestions for improving sleep quality for older adults, particularly post menopausal women. Great to know which drugs are problematic but there are no suggestions of what to use in its place. Lack of sleep is also known to be bad for the brain. We all know the usual suggestions of relaxing before bed, avoiding electronics, keeping a regular bedtime, etc, but when we have nothing that works, what choice is there? Many seniors now work for a living. Gotta sleep
Try to easy to absorb powdered magnesium glycinate.
I'm only 38 but I don't want to get dementia when I'm older and I have enough difficulties with memory and concentration already. I can't believe I never knew about this before. I used to take diphenhydramine for sleep sometimes, I regret that now.
I am a 77-year-old retired Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM). Most CNMs have a Master's Degree (as I do) in either nursing or midwifery. Midwives are trained to offer healthcare to women from puberty until death. Those of us working in conjunction with physicians will see about half of their practice in the area of gynecology, usually about 50% of their practice. The average age of menopause is 51 years, plus a few months. Yes, you can get pregnant after 40 years of age, despite whatever folklore you may have heard. Peri-menopause usually begins in the late 30s. My advice to you, as well as every other woman, is this: DO NOT STOP ESTROGEN! If you still have a uterus, CONTINUE THE PROGESTERONE TOO. Benefits: 1) No unmanageable hot flashes, 2) With the estrogen receptors in the bladder and bladder area, no loss of bladder control that is not resolvable with a few exercises, 3) No need to buy adult diapers, because you won't pee on yourself under normal conditions, 4) Continued bone health, minimizing osteopenia/osteoporosis risk, thereby avoiding increasing your risk of a hip fracture that will land you in a nursing home, 5) Best of all, decreasing the risk of Alzheimer's or dementia, as studies have shown.
Thanks for this Dr! It was needed, I am pretty sure! It seems to me that you are a good Doctor! We need more like you!
Thank you SOmuch! You and your videos have been SOumportant and of great benefit to me! My new Primary Care doctor is a big advocate of getting us older folks OFF of as many meds as possible AND I am thrilled to find that our bodies really CAN do better with its own ability to help itself with out all medications!
VERY informative! I have subscribed! (And my doctors have me on non-anticholinergic drugs. At 74, I am particularly concerned about staying mentally sharp so I can keep designing training courses and keep working!)
This doesn't happen very often anymore, I've learned something today that's actually useful to know. I'm going to have a chat with my mum later about some of the medication she's taking. Thanks
Switched from Tylenol PM. Several months ago and now use THC/CBD gummies based on recommendation from someone who also had sleep problems. Sleep better with better piece of mind.
When I was in nursing school (I never actually wound up working as a nurse) I saw that hospital patients, including older people, were often given diphenhydramine to help them sleep. It never occurred to me that there might be a problem with this, so I've used it myself, not all the time, but more than occasionally. I also figured it would help with allergy at night. No more. I went to a web site about anticholinergics and found pseudoephedrin, which I also sometimes use for allergy. Well, that goes out, too. That gives me jitters, so I won't miss it much. The one thing I now worry about is oxymetazoline spray. I haven't found it on lists of anticholinergic drugs, but I wonder about it.
I use melatonin for sleep
@@LisaWinfield-on3hyThat is also a problem. Melatonin is a hormone your body produces. When you supplement with it, your body will stop producing it naturally.
@@LisaWinfield-on3hyme too
I think it's pseudo science. If you're elderly take children's medicine.
What about zolpidem?
Thank you, thank you, Dr Kernisan! I can only echo other comments below: How refreshing and educative your video is. Shout it from the rooftops! The world needs more of your good sense and well-expressed information. Getting old is such a bummer; minimizing medication and maximizing self-help and understanding through, for example, your good offices, diet, and informed decisions is what we need.
I was prescribed medication for vertigo. It worked. I did the Epley maneuver. It worked. I know which one I prefer. I also know which one my doctor and pharmacy prefer. Let's question and rethink our health systems to reduce dependence on medication and encourage us to take control when and while we are able. Thank you!
Thank you!!! Well delivered!
OMG! This just reinorces my decision t avoid pharmaceutical drugs except IN emergent situations.....i am 80 and it has been a long road to my realization that they also kill or at least make you sick!!!!
so true! also \ / a xx in es .. injected d,isease,
@@janetedddddyou’re nuts, lady.
@janeted9531 don't be ridiculous. You're not a medical professional so don't give medical advice about vaccines. You're pushing your personal agenda.
Thank you for your so very valuable content for the elderly. As you say: not many doctors are informed.
What about gabapentin? I know people on it who have memory problems. I used to take it and started having memory problems so I quit taking it.
Gabapentin is not particularly anticholinergic. However, it's an anti-seizure medication, so by definition it is designed to tamp down neuron activity. This can reduce seizures (and nerve pain) but also means the brain will function less well...so this could cause worse memory in the short term.
I'm glad to have found your channel! I look forward to what I learn. 71 yo woman.
You are awesome! Intelligent, kind, excellent doctor...the kind we don't see so often anymore! Thank you for your concern for others! I adore you.
Wow, thank you!
Wonderful advice and very well narrated. Thank you!
That's a tremendous amount of information for an older person with some (so far) minor memory issues, to remember. I had to take notes, starting and stopping numerous times.
If I find things I need to remember I photo shoot them and then you can go back to them when you need to
😅
Excellent video! Very informative!
Excellent information. I'll be following you and tuning in often.
Great point about dizziness! As people age their bp goes down!
This is excellent. Thanks.