1. < Depression & Anxiety

Anxiety medicine and memory loss

Posted by candytoo @candytoo, Apr 5 9:42am

Hi, I'm concerned about starting Escitalopram because of fears of it causing permanent memory loss. Can anyone please, please help me with factual evidence either way? I really need some help with this.

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lizziel1 | @lizziel1 | Apr 7 9:22am
In reply to @candytoo "Hi Helen, I don't remember specifically where I read it but I can tell you my..." + (show)
@candytoo

Hi Helen, I don't remember specifically where I read it but I can tell you my pharmacist said to be cautious and she wouldn't take it. I was hoping that someone could direct me to evidence that proves either way. Thanks for your time!

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That is unprofessional of your pharmacist to tell you that! She shouldn’t dole out her personal opinion along with your prescription.

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candytoo | @candytoo | Apr 7 10:10am
In reply to @frouke "I had a similar thing a while ago, I was given a script for medication to..." + (show)
@frouke

I had a similar thing a while ago, I was given a script for medication to help with pelvic floor muscle contractions, basically the drug was an older antidepressant but in low doses it relieves pain. I am a little phobic about meds and I go through terrible anxiety to start any new ones, a big mistake I made is to research any meds I’m given, it’s a bad thing to do because you’re not going to feel any better about the meds, in fact it can make things harder for you. I have struggled with this most of my life but I now have to try harder not to do this anymore and it’s tough to do. I think that sometimes we have to put more faith and trust in those people who are there to help but there’s nothing wrong with being very careful at the same time, sometimes there’s a fine line between the two but in my case I finally took the medication and it helped me a lot, I could have saved myself from months of pain and worry but I’m this way by nature. I truly hope that you will finally find the answers you need and wish you the best outcome.

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Thank you for sharing and for all of you who are reading! I usually google most of my new meds but none have got me spooked like this one. I am 63 and very concerned about my memory especially since I don't think it's the greatest. Oh and my grandmother had Alzheimer's disease. Also, I was on Paxil for about 10 years mainly for menopause and sometimes wonder if that didn't mess with my memory. I agree with what you are saying about researching too much. I'm definitely guilty here. I will try to convince myself that I need to put more faith and trust in my doctor. I appreciate that good advice. Please pray for me that I can convince myself to take it.

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candytoo | @candytoo | Apr 7 10:19am
In reply to @naturegirl5 "@candytoo I did some reading in the scientific literature. Just a caution that we are not..." + (show)
@naturegirl5

@candytoo I did some reading in the scientific literature. Just a caution that we are not medical professionals here on Mayo Clinic Connect. We can provide you with support and suggestions for how to advocate for yourself but not actual medical advice. We also share our own experiences as I did when I shared that an older antidepressant I took in the past (Norpramin) helped me with depression and anxiety but at a higher dose I had some word finding problems. Those word finding problems were temporary and totally went away when the dosage was reduced. Escitalopram is an SSRI and so its mechanism is entirely different than the Norpramin I took in the 1990's. What I found when I was reading is that in older individuals (over the age of 60) escitalopram helped their depression and anxiety and there were no changes in cognition including memory and attention. Like @gingerw I'd go with what reputable sites like Mayo Clinic says. I would also take with caution what a pharmacist tells you as they are not your physician.

Have you talked with your doctor again about the prescription?

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Thank you Helen! I understand you and everyone here are not medical professionals so no worries about that. Would it be possible for you to send me the link where you researched, " What I found when I was reading is that in older individuals (over the age of 60) escitalopram helped their depression and anxiety and there were no changes in cognition including memory and attention"? That is music to my ears! 🙂 Scientific research is exactly what I am looking for!

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1 reply
malo | @malo | Apr 7 12:24pm

I think you are wise to be careful. It wasn't that long ago that many medical professionals claimed that fentanyl was safe and non-addictive.

malo

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Mentor
Helen, Volunteer Mentor | @naturegirl5 | Apr 7 2:30pm

@malo I understand that your comment is meant to be helpful and yes, it’s always wise to be careful, ask lots of questions of the prescribing provider and read up. Fentanyl is an opioid and was approved for medical use for anesthesia long before the opioid crisis. Fentanyl is a drug of abuse, is addictive, and medical professionals have known that for a very long time. It was OxyContin first approved by the DEA in 1995 that I think you are referring to that physicians were told by the pharmaceutical companies that this medication wasn’t like the older opioids and wasn’t addictive. We now know so much more and how wrong that was.

DEA: Fentanyl
https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2020-06/Fentanyl-2020_0.pdf
The antidepressant medication discussed here is not addictive. Now someone in the recovery community may disagree with this for different reasons however there is a multitude of research that shows otherwise. When a person’s quality of life including their relationships, family, and work is affected by anxiety then it’s time to discuss what options are available. For some people, this might be medication. These include medications and mental health therapy which is what we’ve been sharing here.

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Mentor
Helen, Volunteer Mentor | @naturegirl5 | Apr 7 2:33pm

@candytoo Did you discuss with your therapist how anxiety affects concentration? When I’m so preoccupied with anxiety I have difficulty with focus and concentration. And if I have trouble focusing then I’m not going to remember what I’ve heard. I’m almost ten years old than you (age 72-years-old) and have learned to “tune into my body” and where in my body I’m feeling anxiety in order to use my skills. This tuning in helps me with focus and so I’m less likely to forget about what’s happening around me. Does this sound familiar to you?

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candytoo | @candytoo | Apr 7 7:30pm
In reply to @candytoo "Thank you Helen! I understand you and everyone here are not medical professionals so no worries..." + (show)
@candytoo

Thank you Helen! I understand you and everyone here are not medical professionals so no worries about that. Would it be possible for you to send me the link where you researched, " What I found when I was reading is that in older individuals (over the age of 60) escitalopram helped their depression and anxiety and there were no changes in cognition including memory and attention"? That is music to my ears! 🙂 Scientific research is exactly what I am looking for!

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Hi Helen!
Can you please provide the link to the research you did saying that escitalopram showed no changes in memory and attention for over the age of 60? Not sure if you got my email earlier today. I would be extremely grateful to you if you could send it at your convenience. Super grateful!

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1 reply
candytoo | @candytoo | Apr 7 7:38pm
In reply to @naturegirl5 "@candytoo Did you discuss with your therapist how anxiety affects concentration? When I’m so preoccupied with..." + (show)
@naturegirl5

@candytoo Did you discuss with your therapist how anxiety affects concentration? When I’m so preoccupied with anxiety I have difficulty with focus and concentration. And if I have trouble focusing then I’m not going to remember what I’ve heard. I’m almost ten years old than you (age 72-years-old) and have learned to “tune into my body” and where in my body I’m feeling anxiety in order to use my skills. This tuning in helps me with focus and so I’m less likely to forget about what’s happening around me. Does this sound familiar to you?

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Sorry I just emailed you. I'm new to all this and trying to figure out how it works. When you have time, could you please send me the link to your researched evidence showing that memory loss and concentration is not an issue for 60 plus? It would be really helpful.

I'm not seeing a therapist so haven't discussed this, but I am fully aware that anxiety messes with concentration. I'm concerned about permanent memory loss and not temporary memory loss due to anxiety. Thanks for all your help!

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candytoo | @candytoo | Apr 7 7:47pm
In reply to @candytoo "Hi Helen! Can you please provide the link to the research you did saying that escitalopram..." + (show)
@candytoo

Hi Helen!
Can you please provide the link to the research you did saying that escitalopram showed no changes in memory and attention for over the age of 60? Not sure if you got my email earlier today. I would be extremely grateful to you if you could send it at your convenience. Super grateful!

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Will you be providing this link to me?

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2 replies
Mentor
Helen, Volunteer Mentor | @naturegirl5 | Apr 7 8:18pm
In reply to @candytoo "Will you be providing this link to me?" + (show)
@candytoo

Will you be providing this link to me?

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@candytoo I have to go back and find it. The articles I read were psychiatric studies I read in scientific journals. I will find them for you and post them here.

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