Are your over the counter medicines making you poorly?
US research has linked some over-the-counter pills and some prescription medicines to a higher risk of dementia, the Daily Mail reports.
The study claims that some hayfever remedies and sleeping pills are among the culprits.
Products such as the antihistamine Piriton and the sleep remedy Nytol contain drugs that have an anticholinergic effect, which means they block a brain chemical linked to memory.
Research found that over-65s who took these drugs every day for more than three years were at greater risk of brain disease.
"Just because a drug is sold in a supermarket or a pharmacy doesn't mean it's completely safe," said Dr Ian Maidment, a senior lecturer in pharmacy at Aston University. "All drugs have side-effects.
"Some drugs available over the counter may also affect other drugs prescribed by your GP."
Codeine-based painkillers such as Codeine, Co-codamol, Benylin with Codeine, Migraleve, Panadol Extra, Solpadeine, Solpadol, Syndol, Tylex pose a number of potential risks.
In the short-term, codeine can cause drowsiness, mood changes and constipation. Taken with certain prescription drugs — such as sleeping pills or tricyclic antidepressants (eg amitryptyline) that slow down the brain or nervous system — the combined effects can lead to slow breathing, sleepiness, coma and even death in some cases.
