#3 Benadryl Abuse is Linked to Dementia
In the paper, Cumulative Use of Strong Anticholinergics and Incident Dementia: A Prospective Cohort Study, Shelly L. Gray et al. makes the case that long-term use of anticholinergic medications such as Benadryl may lead to dementia.
Recall that Benadryl is an anticholinergic. This means that it directly affects the function of certain neurotransmitters in the brain. Specifically, this drug interferes with acetylcholine. Well, it turns out that this neurotransmitter is involved in learning and memory, and that chronically interfering with its function may not be great for brain health.
In the above paper, Shelly Gray, of the University of Washington’s School of Pharmacy, states that people who used Benadryl and similar drugs were more likely to develop dementia in old age, and that risk scaled with dose. The long-term study tracked 3,500 people, aged 65 or older. Using data obtained by Group Health, the researchers were able to account for all prescription and OCT drugs taken in the 10 years prior to the binning of the study.
Of the 3,500 men and women in the study, 800 developed dementia in those 10 years. Most of those 800 individuals consumed products containing diphenhydramine.
Moreover, the more diphenhydramine they took, the more likely they were to develop dementia.
The bottom line:
Benadryl blocks a brain chemical called acetylcholine. This chemical is important for optimal brain health and operation.
This study implies that a relatively young person abusing diphenhydramine over the course of many years may be increasing their risk of developing neurological illness. Diphenhydramine affects brain function, and over time, this may cause damage. It must be said, however, that many drugs have a stronger impact on older folks than younger folks. But the fact remains that diphenhydramine interferes with the operation of vital neurotransmitters.
