10 Drugs That May Cause Memory Loss

7. Hypertension drugs (Beta-blockers)

Why they are prescribed:
Beta-blockers slow the heart rate and lower blood pressure and typically are prescribed for high blood pressure, congestive heart failure and abnormal heart rhythms. They're also used to treat chest pain (angina), migraines, tremors and, in eyedrop form, certain types of glaucoma.

Examples:
Atenolol (Tenormin), carvedilol (Coreg), metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol), propranolol (Inderal), sotalol (Betapace), timolol (Timoptic) and some other drugs whose chemical names end with "-olol."

How they can cause memory loss:
Beta-blockers are thought to cause memory problems by interfering with ("blocking") the action of key chemical messengers in the brain, including norepinephrine and epinephrine.

Alternatives:
If the beta-blocker is being used to treat glaucoma, I recommend talking with your health care professional about potentially using a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor, such as dorzolamide (Trusopt), instead.

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