Anxiety medicine and memory loss

@candytoo I'm just wondering where you might have heard or read that escitalopram causes permanent memory loss. Could you share please? I haven't come across any anecdotal or scientific evidence for that.

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!

@candytoo. I will do some searching and see what I can find in the literature. It’s puzzling as I have not heard this before. Many years ago I experienced problems in word finding when I took an older antidepressant (this was in the 1990’s) and my psychiatrist at the time and I talked about it. Once the dose was lowered the word finding problems went away so these were temporary. But that was a different medication that affected brain cells in a different way than escitalopram.

That would be wonderful! Thank you! It appears that I am stuck on figuring this out myself. I have had these meds for months and have been unable to get myself to take them because I've convinced myself that they may harm my memory in some way.

@candytoo Have you talked with the prescribing doctor about this? Are you seeing a mental health professional? While I see what I can find out maybe you could get curious about yourself and ask yourself why it's been months that you've had the meds and have not started on them yet. Maybe it's something else besides the worry about memory? This is something to talk with a therapist about,

@candytoo All the information I found from reputable sources, including Mayo Clinic, webMD, etc., do not list memory loss as a possible side effect. I found it very interesting that the two places that indicated possible memory loss from Lexapro, were in fact addiction recovery centers. I do not consider them to be a reputable source.

Will this help allay your fears of memory loss and allow you to start taking this medication?
Ginger

Yes, I have talked to my doctor about this. She is a new doctor, just graduated and didn't have an answer either way. No I'm not seeing a mental professional but did many years ago after my divorce. When I ask myself why I haven't taken it yet, it's the same answer...bc I worry about future memory loss. I'm sorry, I don't have another answer. I really appreciate you trying to help!

Hi and thank you! I have read webmd and mayo clinic and very well could have read the same recovery centers as you just read. I guess I was hoping for medical professionals to be able to answer or be consistent with their answers. I have talked to two walgreens pharmacists and one said they wouldn't take it and another said there is a risk with any meds. Neither were helpful. Really appreciate your time.

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.

@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?