[Warning] Could This Drug ERASE Your Memory?
I’ve been practicing medicine for 35 years — and it doesn’t have to be as complicated as some docs make it out to be.
In fact, I’ve always operated by a couple of really simple rules:
- Never do anything that could make a patient worse.
- If it’s not a treatment I’d accept for myself, my wife, or my three sons, I’m sure as heck not going to recommend it to you.
But, believe it or not, common sense is in pretty short supply in the medical field today. And if you’re someone who gets up several times a night to pee, you may be learning that the hard way.
If you had to choose between an overactive bladder and dementia, which would you choose?
Stupid question, right?
I’ll take a few extra trips to the bathroom over losing my mind any day of the year!
But would you believe that there are more than 7 MILLION people in the U.S. who are being asked to put their brains at risk, just so they can pee less at night?
That’s about how many people are taking oxybutynin (Ditropan), a common drug prescribed to treat urinary problems. Multiple studies have linked this drug to thinking problems and an increased risk of dementia in older people, even with short-term use.
If that’s not enough of a kick in the pants, it turns out this drug doesn’t even work well in elderly patients!
Why would ANY doctor prescribe a drug with these known risks to seniors? I’ll tell you why: MONEY and GOVERNMENT RED TAPE.
In fact, most Medicare Part D plans require patients to try oxybutynin—and have it fail—before patients can try something else.
Am I the only one who finds that ridiculous?
I don’t want to make light of the quality of life issues tied to an overactive bladder. The need to urinate frequently—and urgently—can make you second-guess even a simple trip to the barber shop. And the potential for incontinence can be even more paralyzing.
But there are better solutions to this problem—ones that don’t have you trading in your brain to keep your dignity.
I’ve found that a few simple lifestyle changes, as well as some targeted supplements, work wonders.
Two of my go-to supplements for bladder support are pygeum and saw palmetto. Both have a long history—and plenty of science—supporting their effectiveness in both bladder and prostate health.
But one of my favorite solutions is absolutely free: spend some time in the sun.
The underlying cause of an overactive bladder is inflammation, and one of the best ways to combat that is sunlight. The sun is the best source of vitamin D—something your body cannot produce on its own—and vitamin D plays a significant role in preventing chronic inflammation.
Now that’s what I call good medicine.
To a brighter day,
Dr. Richard Gerhauser, M.D.
