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Many over-the-counter and prescription drugs can cause memory loss and cognitive impairment. Numerous drugs have been shown to cause mild cognitive impairment, or MCI, a common condition that is often an early sign of Alzheimer's disease. These drugs may create or aggravate Alzheimer's-type symptoms.
Most of the drugs that cause MCI are "anti-cholinergic" -- they inhibit the activity of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. However, only a few of these drugs are officially classified as anti-cholinergic. The only official anti-cholinergic drugs are mostly used for relieving intestinal cramps or bladder irritability, but there are 17 additional types of drugs that may also have anti-cholinergic effects.