Dr. Cara Tannenbaum, Research Chair at the Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Montréal (IUGM, Montreal Geriatric University Institute) and Associate Professor of Medicine and Pharmacy at the University of Montreal (UdeM), gave a list of drugs that may be causing memory loss. The list came from a study conducted by a team of researchers lead by Dr. Tannenbaum.
The team studied medications that are most likely to affect amnestic (memory) or non-amnestic (attention, concentration, performance) brain functions. The results showed that the episodic use of several medications can cause amnestic or non-amnestic deficits.
Dr. Tannenbaum provided the following list of the most dangerous drugs shown to affect memory (generic names):
Benzodiazepines and non-benzodiazepine sedative hypnotics:
Midazolam
Trazolam
Temazepam
Oxazepam
Lorazepam
Alprazolam
Clonazepam
Diazepam
Florazepam
Clorazepam
Zolpidem
Zopiclone
Zaleplon
Tricyclic antidepressants
Amitriptyline
Imipramine
First-generation antihistamines
Hydroxyzine
Diphenhydramine
Tripoline
Promethazine