Top pharmacist warns against over-the-counter medication taken by millions – it could raise dementia risk

Regularly taking a common hay fever remedy could substantially increase your risk of developing the memory robbing condition dementia, a pharmacist has warned. 

The warning comes amid unusually high pollen levels hitting the UK, leaving many  sufferers turning to the medicine cabinet for help. 

But pharmacist Deborah Grayson said you may want to think twice about which drug to opt for to treat the sneezes and itchy eyes.

In the TikTok clip, which has already racked up 17,000 views, the pharmacist of 30 years warned the one in four Britons who suffer hay fever to not rely on allergy remedies that cause drowsiness. 

She explained this was because some versions of the hay fever drugs — called antihistamines — have been linked to an increased risk of dementia. 

‘I would always advise taking a non-drowsy antihistamine as opposed to one that causes drowsiness because the drowsy antihistamines interfere with the neurotransmitters in the brain,’ she said. 

‘If we’re using those long term, there is a distinct risk of dementia as a result of this.’

Mrs Grayson, who works with the Nutritional Medicine Institute, said such drugs interfere with acetylcholine — a natural chemical in the brain — which plays a critical role in memory and cognitive function. 

‘If you’re taking a sedative antihistamine such as Nytol or Night Nurse to help you sleep, that’s really not something that you want to be taking everyday,’ she said.  

She added: ‘Sometimes they might be prescribed by the GP for a particular reason and that’s fine but if we’re just looking for simple sleep support, then I would advocate not taking it on a regular basis.’ 

Instead, Mrs Grayson’s urged people to take what she called second-generation antihistamines like Cetirizine and Loratadine which don’t carry the same level of risk.

But she added it was best for hay fever sufferers to see if a few easy lifestyle tweaks could help provide relief rather than relying on medications. 

‘One of the simplest tricks is to physically block the pollen from entering your system. Rubbing a small amount of Vaseline around the inside of your nostrils can help trap pollen before it causes problems,’ she said.

‘Wearing sunglasses outdoors can protect your eyes, and staying indoors when the pollen count is particularly high, usually early in the morning or late in the evening, can prevent a major flare-up.

‘Showering and changing clothes after being outside can help wash away any lingering pollen, and keeping windows closed, especially at night, can stop pollen drifting in while you sleep. 

‘If you suffer badly, using a fan with a HEPA filter in your bedroom can also help reduce pollen in the air and give you a better night’s sleep.’

While multiple experts have spoken about the dementia risk of some hay fever medications and urged patients to choose alternatives, evidence on the dangers remains mixed.

Dr Anthony L Komaroff, an experienced family doctor and editor in chief of the Harvard Health Letter, said while he thinks twice about using such drugs, the science was not yet settled. 

‘In the past decade, several studies have suggested that these pills might increase the risk of dementia, while other studies have found no risk. And all the studies are inherently flawed,’ he said. 

Studies that have found a link between the drugs and dementia include one 2015 paper that tracked the brain health of more than 3,400 participants over 65 years old between 1994 and 2012. 

Researchers found there was a link between increased doses of anticholinergics — drugs that interfere with the brain’s release acetylcholine like hay fever medications — and those that developed dementia. 

Separate 2024 research, published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, also revealed a link between antihistamines and dementia. 

In that study experts used data from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database from 2011 to 2017.

It included more than 700,000 patients with recent-onset hay fever. They were split into groups — those that didn’t take antihistamines and those that did. 

After making adjustments for pre-existing medical conditions, the researchers found there was a dose-dependent increase in dementia risk from taking the drugs. 

Hay fever drugs aren’t the only anticholinergic medications commonly taken.

Other examples include some sleep medications, those treating urinary incontinence, nausea, muscle tension and Parkinson’s disease.

In December last year, a British study on more than a million people found taking anticholinergics was linked to an 18 per cent increased risk of a dementia diagnosis. 

Men were slightly more vulnerable — their increased risk was 22 per cent, compared to women at 16 per cent.

Dementia is a condition has multiple causes.

Two of the most common are Alzheimer’s disease and a reduced blood flow to the brain following a stroke, the latter being known as vascular dementia. 

Dementia affects an estimated one million people in the UK.

Recent analysis by the Alzheimer’s Society estimated the overall annual cost of the dementia to the UK is £42billion a year, with families bearing the brunt. 

An ageing population means these costs—which include lost earnings of unpaid carers—are set to soar to £90billion in the next 15 years. 

A separate Alzheimer’s Research UK analysis found 74,261 people died from dementia in 2022 compared with 69,178 a year earlier, making it the country’s biggest killer. 

While dementia is incurable treatments can combat symptoms and sometimes slow progression.