7 Medications That Affect the Brain

7 Medications That Affect the Brain

In this article we will describe 7 medications that can affect the brain.

1. Benzodiazepines (e.g. diazepam, temazepam, clonazepam)

2. Opiates (e.g. morphine, oxycodone)

3. Certain anticonvulsants (e.g. sodium valproate, phenytoin, topiramate)

Can cause cognitive impairment, memory problems, and mood changes

4. Steroids (e.g. prednisolone)

5. Chemotherapy drugs

Some chemotherapy drugs, especially those used for cancer like lymphoma, bowel cancer, or myeloma, can cause nerve damage.

Examples include platinum-based agents (oxaliplatin, cisplatin, carboplatin), taxanes (paclitaxel, docetaxel), and vinca alkaloids (vincristine, vinblastine)

6. Certain antibiotics

Particularly those taken for prolonged periods, can also be neurotoxic. Examples include metronidazole, nitrofurantoin, and some cephalosporins

7. Alcohol

Even though not a medication it is important to realise alcohol has both short and long-term effects on the brain.

In the short-term, alcohol can cause diminished memory, impaired decision-making, and slurred speech. Long-term cellular damage, in contrast, may not be as apparent.

Nonetheless it can cause dementia, cerebellar or Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome. These are usually permament.

Other drugs that can affect the brain

• Anticholinergic medication (e.g. diphenhydramine, oxybutynin): May cause cognitive decline, confusion, and increased risk of dementia
• Aciclovir, ganciclovir and valganciclovir: Can cause neurotoxicity. This is a rare but serious side effect, primarily in patients with more advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD4, or on dialysis or with a kidney transplant), or in the elderly. These individuals need reduced doses
• Sedatives/hypnotics (e.g. zopiclone): May cause temporary cognitive impairment, confusion, and increased risk of falls and accidents.

This is a much longer list of neurotoxic medication.

Note. Many of these effects are reversible – i.e. get better if the drug is stopped, or dose reduced.

Summary

In this article we have described 7 medications that can affect the brain. We hope it has been helpful.