Taking This Type Of Advil For Sleep Could Increase Your Risk Of Dementia – Health Digest

Ibuprofen (aka Advil) is many people’s go-to for occasional aches and pains. Some people with chronic pain may need to take ibuprofen more regularly, especially if that pain interferes with their ability to sleep. Chronic pain can disrupt sleep, resulting in less sleep overall, according to the Sleep Foundation. And when you don’t get enough rest, you may also find yourself more sensitive to pain, which can lead to reaching for the ibuprofen bottle a little more often.

Advil makes different formulations, and its nighttime formula, Advil PM, may seem like a win-win for helping you sleep while managing pain. You get 200 milligrams of ibuprofen to block certain enzymes that cause pain and inflammation. Advil PM’s other active ingredient is diphenhydramine, which is technically an antihistamine. This type of first-generation antihistamine has a well-known side effect of drowsiness. That’s why you’ll also find diphenhydramine in some over-the-counter sleep aids.

Diphenhydramine is considered an anticholinergic drug, meaning it blocks acetylcholine, a substance in your brain that’s associated with learning and memory. Some types of antidepressants, bladder control medications, and drugs for Parkinson’s symptoms also fall into the anticholinergic category. While an occasional Advil PM may help with pain while you sleep, taking anticholinergic drugs long-term has been linked to an increased risk of dementia.

Because diphenhydramine is an antihistamine, you’ll also find this ingredient in Benadryl. Whether you take Advil PM for nighttime pain or Benadryl for nighttime allergies, diphenhydramine and other first-generation antihistamines can cross the blood-brain barrier. Over time, these drugs may affect cognition. A 2024 study in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice followed more than 700,000 people with allergic rhinitis—some of whom took first-generation antihistamines like diphenhydramine. The people who took the most of these antihistamines had a 50% higher risk of developing dementia compared to those who didn’t use them for their allergies.

(Here are some warning signs of Alzheimer’s you shouldn’t ignore.)

If you’re younger, you may not notice the acetylcholine-blocking effects of these drugs on your thinking. But as you get older, your body naturally produces less acetylcholine, according to Harvard Medical School. Anticholinergic drugs like Advil PM can further lower these already reduced levels, which may have a stronger impact on your brain. On top of that, medications tend to stay in the bloodstream longer in older adults because their liver and kidneys process drugs more slowly.

Advil PM and Benadryl are available over the counter, so it’s important to talk to your doctor about using these drugs or any supplements, especially if you’re also taking prescription anticholinergic medications. A smaller study published in 2019 in JAMA Internal Medicine looked specifically at prescription anticholinergic drugs. People who took the highest doses had almost a 50% higher risk of developing dementia compared to those who weren’t prescribed them. The risk was even greater for people taking these drugs to treat schizophrenia, bladder problems, and Parkinson’s disease.

(Find out about a tool that can predict your dementia risk.)

Anticholinergic drugs may not be the only ones linked to dementia risk. A 2024 review in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences found that long-term use of benzodiazepines, such as Xanax and Valium, is also associated with a higher risk of dementia. For this reason, benzodiazepines aren’t recommended for older adults. Acetaminophen and high doses of opioids could raise dementia risk as well. On the other hand, certain statins that can cross the blood-brain barrier might help protect the brain from dementia. But there isn’t enough evidence to recommend using statins specifically to prevent dementia.