Can Antihistamines Cause Alzheimer’s?

“It’s as safe as aspirin.” Was a saying for many years. Now aspirin is known to be quite toxic, causes bleeding, ulcers, and other stomach problems. In fact, where doctors used to recommend an aspirin a day to prevent heart attacks. But now it is known that the aspirin is more dangerous than the heart attack.

How could it happen that we have lived whole lifetimes with something generally considered safe by all and is now found to be dangerous?

Now with more research, those “safe-as-aspirin” medications we have taken like candy for sixty years are found to harm the body. Like all medications, these OTC cold, insomnia, or allergies drugs are toxic.[1] But these specific non-prescription medicines can affect the brain, and may damage it permanently. They are antihistamines and come with many different uses. Antihistamines are used for allergies, but also hide in cold remedies, sleeping pills, and treatment for vertigo.

Antihistamines for Sleep

Jared has struggled with sleeping problems most of his life. He was taking an OTC sleeping pill that he felt was safe because it doesn’t require a prescription. Yet when he brought it to my office, I found out that it contained diphenhydramine, a common allergy medication. Jared is in a terrible conundrum.

• If he doesn’t sleep, his brain doesn’t function during the day.
• On the other hand, if he takes the sleeping agent with diphenhydramine, he has a significant risk of causing permanent brain damage.

Benadryl, or diphenhydramine, has been linked to serious mental complications when used in excess and for long periods of time. Taking diphenhydramine over time can actually predispose people to dementia. The dose and length of time taking these seems to make a difference. Taking diphenhydramine for less than three months has little effect. But using diphenhydramine for over three years shows a 54% increase in risk of Alzheimer’s disease. You should be careful not to use these types of medicines all the time in order to get good sleep.[2]

Diphenhydramine is an antihistamine active ingredient that has a number of different uses in over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, such as:

• Sleep aids
• Sedatives
• Colds and Flu
• Allergy Relief
• Hay Fever
• Dizziness or vertigo
• Motion sickness

More and more studies[3],[4] are indicating that these over-the-counter medications can affect the brain in negative ways, causing:

• Brain fog (cognitive deficits)
• Memory lapses
• Confusion
• Dementia
• Falls
• Automobile accidents

The use of diphenhydramine antihistamine medicine can treat allergy and cold symptoms such as sneezing and watery eyes. But they also block a very important neurotransmitter that controls memory, cognition, and the autonomic nervous system – ACETYLCHOLINE. This is the most abundant neurotransmitter in the body, acting on the brain, the spinal cord, the ganglia of the autonomic nervous system, and all the muscles of your body. The actions of this neurotransmitter include:[5]

• Modulates attention, motivation, and arousal
• Causes muscle contraction
• Regulates movement of the stomach and intestines
• Slows the heart rate
• Relaxes blood vessels
• Increases body secretions

It’s easy to see how blocking acetylcholine can have a lot of effects on the body. Dry mouth, dry eyes, difficulty urinating, constipation, fast heart rate, sedation and spasms are all side-effects of taking antihistamines.

There are many other drugs that block acetylcholine. Dr. Malaz Boustani and her colleagues at the Regenstrief Institute and the Indiana University Center for Aging Research have developed a scale of the effects of various medications on the brain. They are divided into three groups.

• Group 1 are those medications that may have some effect because they have some anticholinergic properties
• Group 2 have a small effect
• Group 3 definitely affects memory and cognition

If you are taking more than one and they add up to 3 or more, it may affect your brain as if you were taking a medication in group 3.[6]

Besides medications, some of the worst toxins also affect acetylcholine.

• Black Widow toxin
• Sarin (nerve gas)
• Organophosphates (pesticides)

Keeping your acetylcholine is essential for your brain and body to function. It is best to avoid all those things that are toxic to this system. This is a good reason to eat organic produce – to avoid eating pesticides. Studies have found significant differences in people who eat organic versus those who don’t.[7]

Also, you should be careful not to use these types of medicines all the time in order to get good sleep.

What to use instead of antihistamines

Natural Sleep Remedies

If you have difficulty sleeping, there are no good medications for sleep. It seems that all of them have negative effects on the brain. If you take an occasional sleeping pill it’s not going to cause a problem, but if you have chronic daily sleep issues it would be a good idea to have a sleep study and other tests done to find out why. Aside from that, here are some other tips:

• Strenuous and sweaty exercise early in the day
• Relaxation techniques
• Biofeedback training
• Treat depression and anxiety
• Sleep in darkness
• Try the Wim Hof method
• Use relaxing teas
• Try GABA, 5-HTP, melatonin, or theanine for occasional use
• Go to bed early and wake up early – wake up at the same time every morning

Natural Remedies for Allergies

There are many alternatives for allergies, besides avoiding the sedating antihistamines. There are others that have less effect on acetylcholine. The non-sedating, 24-hour type antihistamines can be used occasionally. For example, if you have seasonal allergies and only use them for a couple of months during “the season.”

A natural antihistamine that will improve your brain is QUERCETIN. Quercetin is not an antihistamine. It prevents the allergy cells from releasing histamine instead of blocking the histamine. It can even be taken with antihistamines in severe allergic reactions. It is a bioflavonoid that has multiple other benefits for the body. The dose can be increased, usually starting at 500 mg twice per day, and going up to 1000 mg three times per day, if needed. Take bromelain 500mg with each dose of quercetin, no matter what it is.

Natural Remedies for Vertigo

Those who have chronic vertigo may need to be sure they don’t have a tumor causing it. A consult with an ENT (Ears, Nose, and Throat specialist) will easily be able to rule this out. Epley Maneuvers can relieve the symptoms for many. Others may need more extensive physical therapy, cognitive feedback training or autonomic nervous system therapy with neurofeedback. A natural way to achieve control of the autonomic nervous system is the Wim Hof method, using cold therapy.

Natural Remedies for Motion Sickness

Since this is usually short-term, it may not be a problem to use the antihistamines. The non-sedating antihistamines won’t work and the prescription medications also block acetylcholine, so they aren’t safer. But there are natural ways to prevent motion sickness. “SEA BANDS” are worn around the wrist and have a “button” that puts pressure on the acupuncture point to relieve nausea. I know many who have found these to be helpful on long car trips, flights, or ocean voyages.

Ginger can also be very helpful. Some take ginger tea, others use ginger chews, and the brave take raw ginger. I don’t know that one works better than the other. There are some good tea formulas that include licorice with the ginger to make it sweet and it may work better.

While antihistamines have improved the lives of people suffering from allergies, sleep problems, and other symptoms, they are not without risk. If they cannot be avoided, they should be taken on an intermittent basis, only occasionally and as needed. However, if you can avoid using them, you can decrease your risk of Alzheimer’s Disease, as well as other problems with an “aging brain.”

Epilogue

Jared did find a way to sleep and is off antihistamines most of the time. He does use other natural substances more often, like GABA, 5-HTP, melatonin, and theanine. We try not to use any one of them every day, so they continue to work for him long-term, and don’t cause harm.

 

 

Sources:
[1]https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/two-types-of-drugs-you-may-want-to-avoid-for-the-sake-of-your-brain
[2]https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/two-types-of-drugs-you-may-want-to-avoid-for-the-sake-of-your-brain
[3]BMC Geriatr. 2015 Mar 25;15:31. doi: 10.1186/s12877-015-0029-9. Anticholinergic burden quantified by anticholinergic risk scales and adverse outcomes in older people: a systematic review. Salahudeen MS1, Duffull SB2, Nishtala PS3.
[4]http://www.todaysgeriatricmedicine.com/archive/0313p6.shtml
[5]https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-acetylcholine-2794810
[6]https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/anticholinergic-cognitive-burden-scale
[7]http://www.dailycal.org/2019/02/20/organic-diet-can-decrease-pesticides-in-urine-uc-berkeley-study-finds/