What 7 medications can be harmful to the brain?

What 7 medications can be harmful to the brain?

In this article we will describe 7 medications that can be harmful to the brain.

1. Benzodiazepines (e.g. diazepam, temazepam, clonazepam): May cause cognitive impairment, memory loss, and increased risk of dementia with long-term use
2. Opiates (e.g. morphine, oxycodone): Can cause cognitive impairment, confusion, and increased risk of overdose and brain damage from hypoxia
3. Certain anticonvulsants (e.g. sodium valproate, phenytoin, topiramate): Can cause cognitive impairment, memory problems, and mood changes
4. Steroids (e.g. prednisolone): May cause mood changes, anxiety/depression (can be serious, including psychosis), and cognitive impairment. This is usually reversible
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 be harmful to the brain. We hope it has been helpful.