Carol, thanks for the post. We learned that benadryl is bad for dementia from the nurse in the nursing home. Back home in Chicagoland, we never knew it and the home care nurse even gave my FIL benadryl to stop his thorat agitation and calm him down. It is true. When he woke up after the drug effect is over, he said funny things and referred to eyeglasses as something else. It caused him more confusion. The nursing home knows better how to treat him. Now I try not to take benadryl anymore. But my doctors used to tell me to take it if I have trouble sleeping.
Take care,
Nina
Benedryl does seem to be a problem for many. Used occasionally for sleep it seems fine for most people (though maybe not those with dementia), but taken regularly it's fallen out of favor with most physicians, as it can cause muddled thinking and fatigue.
Thanks Nina. Your insights are wonderful to share,
Carol
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This is quite eye-opening, isn't it, Carol? Thank you so much for sharing this with the community.
My one sister (5 years older than I) is definitely having memory problems. I tend to associate this with her work stress, but it's also true that this one sister tended to be the one willing to use OTC drugs with frequency, whenever anything felt as if it were wrong. It does make one wonder what the cumulative effects of continuous use might be. I was always a bit the opposite - never wanting to take drugs, even if prescribed, unless it seemed absolutely essential, mostly because I don't quite have the same confidence in the pharma approval process that you expressed in your opening paragraph here. Honestly, I'd rather have a little pain than an addled brain. Even after major surgery for cancer, I took a non-pharma route. Funny how we all differ in how we approach these matters.
This message of yours is a wonderful reminder that we all ought to practice caution in using all kinds of drugs. Thank you again.
Thanks for your thoughts, CJ. Youa lways think things through so well.
Blessings,
Carol