Interstitial Cystitis Advice

Below is an article by fellow IC patient, Matt Ewing (with excepts reprinted with permission from Bill Sardi), which touches on a number of important (and thought provoking) points in terms of the possible cognitive affects that patients could possibly suffer from certain medications. As well as the need to thoroughly investigate a new medication (or supplement) when it is prescribed for you.

Obviously, not everyone would agree with Matt's statement that doctors view IC as a "drug deficiency", because if you get technical and look at things like that, then the same statement could be applied to most any medical condition for which prescriptions are administered. Instead what I feel that Mr. Ewing is trying to say is that sometimes IC patients are so bombarded with all manner of medications, to the extent that it might seem as though they were deficient of something. Yet it's worth remembering too, that the more drug options we have, the more likely it is that you may chance upon a medication which helps your IC symptoms. If you are concerned that a medication that you are taking (for IC or anything else) is possibly causing you to experience cognitive (mental) problems, such as memory loss or a sense of mental cloudiness than it is very import that you discuss this with your health care team. It's critical to try and determine if the problem is coming from your medication or if it is a sign of a (potentially) unrelated health issue which needs to be addressed. It's good to remember too, that if you have questions about your medication(s) which you feel your doctors (and pharmacist) are not able to answer entirely, that you have the right to contact the drug manufacturer yourself (ask your pharmacist for the name of the manufacturer if it is not stated on your medication packaging or informational sheet).

Preface by Jessica Cangiano, ICadvice.com Creator and Administrator

No wonder so many ICers are losing their minds...

By Matt Ewing

I have found this article of interest from the Knowledge of Health website (Knowledge of Health) that I think all ICers should read. It is a commentary on a British medical journal report of a French study into the effects of various medications on cognitive function.

This study should be considered astounding, considering that so many of these medications are administered at nursing homes for senior citizens, where so many people have been sent for treatment of Alzheimers and other mental impairment conditions. I wonder if any of their docs have ever considered that their patients' dementia could be attributed to all of their other medications? The idea of taking more drugs to counteract the side effects is even more dangerous; what is needed is smarter prescription management to select others that may be less problematic.

I'll venture that the attached list of meds is not all inclusive, it may just be transcribed from a list of meds commonly used in either Britain or France. What I can say is that I have seen many of these meds mentioned in various posts on many IC forums over the past few years, and that many of the participants were not senior citizens. I do recall having seen many postings where others have complained of being fog-brained all the time. Hmmm...

I have come to think that while many of you complain of how little your docs know about IC, many of you are all too trusting of your docs and take anything that they prescribe to treat your apparent drug deficiency problems, or so it would seem as though what they thought IC was. IC is not caused by any kind of drug deficiency.

I feel that every ICer should take the initiative to learn all that they can about what they are taking. I think that this means asking the pharmacist about getting the tightly folded insert that contains a lot of tiny print with a ton of information on it which comes in the box that the medicine came in. A lot of the information on there is not always disclosed on the brief blurb that is attached to the bag with the pill bottle in it (pharamcist's summary of your medication). (Note: In some countries this is given to the patient the first time that he or she starts a new medication.)

Excerpt from the article (By Bill Sardi) follows; some graphics may be missing and some formatting may be lost, though:

They're Causing Us All To Lose Our Minds

Acetycholine is the memory molecule in the brain. Medications that interfere with acetycholine are called anticholinergic drugs.

Researchers in France are alerting the world to the fact that millions of prescriptions for drugs called anticholinergics, often prescribed as anti-spasm drugs to nursing home patients or as sedatives, antihistamines or antidepressants to millions of others, markedly increase symptoms of impaired memory, delayed reflexes and other symptoms associated with senility, for which doctors then ludicrously prescribe acetycholine-promoting drugs to counter these effects.

In U.S. nursing homes more than 30% of elderly residents take more than two anticholinergic drugs, and 5% take more than five. An estimated 51% of the general population uses anticholinergic drugs!

Among senior adults in the study, mild mental impairment was diagnosed in 35% of non-anticholinergic drug users but a whopping 80% of consistent users of this class of drugs! The loss of mental function was equivalent to induction of memory loss by a drug that causes amnesia (scopolamine)!!

The French researchers said people with mild mental impairment taking these drugs "could be in the absurd situation of receiving pro- acetycholine drugs to counteract the effects of the other drugs!"
[British Medical Journal Feb. 1, 2006 Online First]

-Copyright 2006 Bill Sardi, Knowledge of Health, Inc.

Partial List of Anticholinergic Drugs:

Compound-Drug class
Aceprometazine-Neuroleptic, antihistamine (phenothiazine)
Acepromazine-Neuroleptic (phenothiazine)
Alimemazine-Antihistamine, sedative (phenothiazine)
Alprazolam (Xanax)-Anxiolytic (benzodiazepine)
Alverine-Antispasmodic
Amitriptyline (Elavil; Endep)-Tricyclic antidepressant
Amoxapine (Asendin)-Tricyclic antidepressant
Belladonna alkaloids-Antispasmodic
Chlorphenamine-Antihistamine
Clomipramine-Tricyclic antidepressant
Clorazepate (Tranxene)-Anxiolytic (benzodiazepine)
Codeine Analgesic-antipyretic
Colchicine-Anti-hyperuricemic, anti-inflammatory
Dexchlorpheniramine-Antihistamine
Digoxin (Lanoxin)-Antiarrhythmic, cardiotonic
Furosemide (Lasix)-Diuretic, antihypertensive
Hydroxyzine (Hyzine, Vistaril)-Anxiolytic, antihistamine
Imipramine (Tofranil)-Tricyclic antidepressant
Levomepromazine-Neuroleptic (phenothiazine)
Maprotiline (Ludiomil)-Tetracyclic antidepressant
Opipramol-Tricyclic antidepressant
Orphenadrine-Antiparkinsonian
Oxybutynin (Ditropan)-Antispasmodic
Theophylline (asthma drug)-Bronchodilator, antiasthmatic
Trihexyphenidyl-Antiparkinsonian
Trimipramine (Surmontil)-Tricyclic antidepressant
Tropatepine-Antiparkinsonian

© 2006 Bill Sardi, Knowledge of Health, Inc. All material on this site, including all factual statements and opinions, are solely those of Bill Sardi and are not sponsored, endorsed, or authorized by any other person or entity. If you have a health condition, you are advised to seek other medical opinions from health professionals before making any changes in your health regimens. The reports on this website are for information purposes only.