Prescription medications offer a wide range of benefits for multiple health problems, but like any type of drug, they can have negative consequences. A recent study reported by CNN has found that anticholinergic drugs, many of which can be purchased over the counter, can have serious effects on your brain and your mental health.
These problems are more common when these drugs are used improperly, something that occurs more often with these drugs than you might imagine. Here 's what you need to know about anticholinergic drugs and the effects they could be having on your mind.
What Are Anticholinergic Drugs?
Anticholinergic drugs are those that block acetylcholine in the …show more content…
All these symptoms are synchronous with the early onset of Alzheimer 's disease.
In fact, another study in 2013 (performed at the Indiana University Center For Aging Research) had already found many of the same effects in anticholinergic drugs. They found that they caused serious cognitive problems could occur as quickly as 60 days after the first dosage. The problem with replacing these drugs is that many people (especially the elderly) rely on these drugs to stay healthy.
As a result, cognitive impairment and even an increased risk of dementia have been noted in people who continue to use these drugs. This find could potentially have a wide impact on the medical market and may require doctors and patients find alternative treatments for the many medical uses of anticholinergic drugs.
Typical Medical Uses
The effects that anticholinergic drugs have on your mind are secondary to the myriad of medical problems that they treat. These medicines can be purchased over the counter or prescribed to treat the following conditions:
Gastritis
Colitis
Nausea
Vomiting …show more content…
Rarely addictive, they still produce a mildly hallucinogenic state during which a person has little control over or memory of their actions.
Though anticholingergics are among the least popular or misused drugs on the market, the legality of of these drugs as well as the ease in obtaining has carved out a small niche of users. Typically, they are used by teens that can 't get a hold of other substances or people who, for whatever reason, want to experience hallucinations or a loss of control.
The worst part about this misuse isn 't the temporary perception effects it causes but the damage that is occurring in the brain of those misusing them. The idea that prescription drugs are completely safe to misuse in this way is a severe misunderstanding that can lead to serious side effects.
Possible Side Effects
The damage caused by anticholinergics is usually only a temporary problem for most people, but when used in high levels or for extended periods, a variety of side effects are possible, many of which in severity depending on the extent of the damage. These effects