Harvard Health
health.harvard.edu › blog › common-anticholinergic-drugs-like-benadryl-linked-to-increased-dementia-risk-20150128812
Common anticholinergic drugs like Benadryl linked to increased dementia risk - Harvard Health
January 9, 2025 - A report published in JAMA Internal ... and other observational studies have also found this association, it doesn't prove that these drugs cause dementia....
Rupa Health
rupahealth.com › post › does-benadryl-cause-dementia-separating-myth-from-fact
Does Benadryl Cause Dementia? Separating Myth From Fact
February 6, 2025 - While dementia risk is a significant concern with long-term Benadryl use, it’s not the only one. Other serious health risks, particularly for older adults, should be considered when deciding whether to use Benadryl frequently or over an extended period. Given the findings from the studies linking Benadryl and similar anticholinergic drugs to dementia, occasional or short-term use of Benadryl is generally considered safe for most people.
Does long-term Benadryl use increase dementia risk?
Anticholinergic use and its link to dementia in at least the older population is pretty well established. Doesn't stop care facilities from giving it to calm or help make an elderly patients more "docile". Happened to two of my grandmothers and many other people say the same. Elder care is... not great to say the least in the US. More on reddit.com
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March 27, 2024Does taking benadryl long term actually increase your risk of dementia/ alzheimers?
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October 27, 2021"It (Diphenhydramine) Has Been Associated With An Increased Risk Of Developing Dementia" — This Doctor Is Warning People About The Potential Risk Of This Popular Over-The-Counter Medicine (Benadryl, Tylenol PM)
Doesn't this risk apply to all anti-cholinergic drugs (aka all H1 and H2 antihistamines, which includes many popular stomach acid reducers), not just benadryl? I stopped taking everything I could reasonably stop when my mom was diagnosed with alzheimer's - funny enough I had been under the care of an allergist for years who encouraged my high doses of multiple antihistamines to manage what had been relatively severe allergies (I was on a cocktail of 4 different ones). I later figured out I have alpha-gal syndrome which was causing my "chronic" hives and general inflammation and when I stopped eating all beef and pork products the hives completely went away and I magically became much less reactive (or not reactive at all) to most of the things that had previously been fairly bad allergies for me. My allergy testing went from me being positive for literally everything except 5 kinds of mold, to me only testing positive for all grasses, roaches, dust mites, and horses... even my allergist was surprised and called it "very unusual". The only anti-cholinergic drug I still take is the umeclidinium in my asthma inhaler (Trelegy) - I've tried (switched from Trelegy to Breo for a month) and I really can't go without that one... however I was told that because it was more of a localized effect the risks weren't as high as taking any oral medication would be. I'm comfortable continuing to take it because being able to breathe is helpful :) More on reddit.com
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February 3, 2024Anyone here ever used benadryl?
Male 60 (as of today-dang that sounds old!) I take it as needed. I’ve seen the study and it concerns me. But I sleep with a CPAP machine and can’t breathe if clogged up. I typically only take half of a tablet unless symptoms are really bad. More on reddit.com
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March 9, 2024PubMed Central
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov › articles › PMC4592307
Long-term use of diphenhydramine - PMC
A recently published prospective cohort study reveals a higher cumulative strong anticholinergic use is associated with an increased risk for dementia. 2 Anticholinergics include tricyclic antidepressants, bladder antimuscarinics and first generation antihistamines.
Clinicalcorrelations
clinicalcorrelations.org › 2013 › 05 › 22 › clinical-misinformation-the-case-of-benadryl-causing-dementia
Clinical Misinformation: The Case of Benadryl Causing Dementia – Clinical Correlations
A study with internal validity only to African-Americans over the age of 70 which “suggested†that anticholinergic use may be linked to mild cognitive impairment had, through the evolution of information, been applied to the general population and concluded that medications like Benadryl caused memory loss.
Texas Health
texashealth.org › areyouawellbeing › Health-and-Well-Being › Is-Benadryl-Linked-to-an-Increased-Risk-of-Dementia
Is Benadryl Linked to an Increased Risk of Dementia?
May 29, 2024 - Some observational studies have reported a higher prevalence of dementia among individuals who regularly use anticholinergic drugs, including Benadryl, compared to non-users. However, it's important to note that these studies primarily establish associations and do not prove causation.
Harvard Health
health.harvard.edu › mind-and-mood › should-i-worry-about-dementia-risk-from-antihistamines
Should I worry about dementia risk from antihistamines? - Harvard Health
March 1, 2025 - In the past decade, several studies have suggested that these pills might increase the risk of dementia, while other studies have found no risk. And all the studies are inherently flawed.
National Center for Health Research
center4research.org › home › benadryl and other common medications are linked to dementia in men and women
Benadryl and Other Common Medications are Linked to Dementia in Men and Women - National Center for Health Research
June 23, 2015 - But, it’s important to remember ... studies, the more you take—and this means either the dose or the number of days—the higher your risk of developing dementia. There is no firm answer on how much or how long it takes before these drugs begin to increase the risk of dementia. In one study, the researchers found the link to dementia began when people took over fifty doses a year over the course of eight years...
KPWHRI
kpwashingtonresearch.org › index.php › news-and-events › blog › 2019 › june-2019 › could-deprescribing-anticholinergic-drugs-help-prevent-dementia
Could ‘deprescribing’ anticholinergic drugs prevent dementia?
July 17, 2019 - And now we know that non-prescription over-the-counter medications such as Benadryl (diphenhydramine) have some long-term risks as well. The U.K. researchers estimate that 10 percent of dementia diagnoses may be due to anticholinergic drugs—more than the estimated 6.5 percent for physical inactivity, 5 percent for midlife hypertension, and 3 percent for diabetes—although less than the estimated 14 percent for later-life smoking. But we need more research to nail down that the link between anticholinergics and dementia—found in observational studies like ours and the new one—is causal and not a coincidence.
Office for Science and Society
mcgill.ca › oss › article › medical-critical-thinking › will-taking-benadryl-sleep-aid-give-me-dementia
Will Taking Benadryl as a Sleep Aid Give Me Dementia? | Office for Science and Society - McGill University
February 16, 2024 - Take-home message: - The drug ... diphenhydramine to dementia is of low quality and no cause-and-effect relationship has been established with diphenhydramine yet...
PubMed Central
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov › articles › PMC4358759
Cumulative Use of Strong Anticholinergic Medications and Incident Dementia - PMC
The most common anticholinergic drug classes used were tricyclic antidepressants, first generation antihistamines and bladder antimuscarinics. Over a mean follow-up of 7.3 years, 797 participants (23%) developed dementia (637 developed Alzheimer’s). A 10-year cumulative dose-response relationship ...
Scientific American
scientificamerican.com › article › does-long-term-benadryl-use-increase-dementia-risk
Does Long-Term Benadryl Use Increase Dementia Risk? | Scientific American
March 27, 2024 - The studies show an association between dementia risk and the quantity and frequency of anticholinergic use. One capsule of Benadryl to relieve an allergy every once in a while probably won’t affect someone all that ...
Alzdiscovery
alzdiscovery.org › uploads › cognitive_vitality_media › Diphenhydramine-Cognitive-Vitality-For-Researchers.pdf pdf
Diphenhydramine (e.g., Benadryl)
dementia, with the hazard ratio highest (1.54; 95% CI, 1.21-1.96) in the highest cumulative users [3]. The
Reddit
reddit.com › r/health › does long-term benadryl use increase dementia risk?
r/Health on Reddit: Does long-term Benadryl use increase dementia risk?
March 27, 2024 - Essentially dementia causes anxiety, insomnia, and subtle behavioral changes before it's actually diagnosed leading to increased benadryl use.
University of Washington
sop.washington.edu › home › higher dementia risk linked to more use of common drugs
Higher dementia risk linked to more use of common drugs - School of Pharmacy
January 26, 2015 - The large study links a significantly increased risk for developing dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, to taking commonly used medications with anticholinergic effects at higher doses or for a longer time. Many older people take these medications, which include nonprescription diphenhydramine (Benadryl...
Healthline
healthline.com › health › alzheimers › benadryl-and-alzheimers
Benadryl and Alzheimer’s: Is There a Link?
February 6, 2023 - Some research has found a link between the risk of dementia in older adults and a class of medications that includes Benadryl. But there’s no research to suggest that taking Benadryl when younger can increase your risk of Alzheimer’s.
GoodRx
goodrx.com › goodrx health › drugs › diphenhydramine › can taking benadryl raise your risk of dementia?
Can Taking Benadryl Raise Your Risk of Dementia? - GoodRx
April 6, 2023 - So far, the research hasn’t proven that taking Benadryl raises the risk of dementia. But the class of medications Benadryl belongs to is linked to dementia. If you need to take Benadryl, you can follow a few precautions to lower any potential risk.
Women's Health
womenshealthmag.com › brain health › this common over-the-counter medication might be detrimental for brain health, according to doctors
This Common Over-The-Counter Medication Increases Dementia Risk, According To Doctors
May 23, 2025 - A close friend who is also a physician clued me into why these OTC options aren't ideal: Frequent use of antihistamines that fall into the category of first-generation antihistamines has been tied to an increased risk of dementia.
GoodRx
goodrx.com › goodrx health › health conditions › dementia: your goodrx guide › drugs linked to dementia: the complete guide
Drugs Linked to Dementia: The Complete Guide - GoodRx
February 11, 2025 - Other studies have shown that the use of an anticholinergic medication can worsen dementia in people who are already experiencing cognitive decline. But not all studies have such clear-cut findings.
PubMed Central
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov › articles › PMC7821204
Increased risk of incident dementia following use of anticholinergic agents: A systematic literature review and meta‐analysis - PMC
Long‐term treatment with anticholinergic agents may increase the risk of cognitive impairment or dementia. This systematic literature review and meta‐analysis aimed to assess the impact of ≥3 months of exposure to anticholinergics as a class on the risk of dementia, mild cognitive impairment, ...