Cause of transient global amnesia?

[humlies]

I was recently diagnosed with an episode of TGA. As I couldn’t really identify with any of the usual causes, I looked at drugs that might play a part. Top of the list were anticholenergic drugs such as Spiriva, which I take as a powder from an inhaler. My doctor assured me that it is only the tablets that can have this effect, even though both tablets and powder have the same content. Has anyone any thoughts on this?

[Damon1864]

Hi humlies of you are worried about this ask your GP to swap you off spraiva onto a different inhaler. Hope this helps and please let us know how you get on. Have a lovely day and take care 😊 Bernadette and Jack 🐕 xxxxxx 🌻🌻💖

[humlies in reply to Damon1864]

Thank you so much . My doctor does not seem to think there is an alternative; do you know one? These forums are wonderful!

[Damon1864 in reply to humlies]

I was changed of spirava to one called eaybreath or something like that,I can't quite remember, but I felt much better for the change . I'm now on Trimbow which is a three in one and seems to work ok. Have a lovely day and take care 😊 Bernadette and Jack 🐕 xxxxxx 🌻🌻

[humlies in reply to Damon1864]

Thank you again ; I will keep these names in mind. These forums are so helpful!

[suzy-lou]

Good morning humlies.

I found your post very interesting - and it made me think of my own history of TGA. I have suffered two episodes with the most recent resulting in my GP referring me for investigation (MRI scan). I have also been taking Spiriva for about 7 years. At no time did the doctors link it to medication for asthma and COPD treatment. This is something I will now discuss with my GP at my next review. So, thank you for giving the 'heads up' to the possibility of a link.

Have a good day and keep well

Suzy-Lou xxx

[humlies]

Thank you Suzy Lou. Do let me know how you get on; my doctor was nice but dismissive. My next step is to find a knowledgeable pharmacist and discuss this; it is somewhat concerning to see that Spiriva was taken to court, but I think this was more for a possible link with heart problems. Bless you, Rosemary.

[R2B_John Moderator]

I am not a clinician, but your comment made me curious, so I did some digging. I could find nowhere that TGA was listed as even a rare side effect for Spriva. We need to remember that there are many many anticholinergic medications. Even Benadryl is a type of anticholinergic.

My personal thoughts are not to worry about the Spiriva being the cause unless it recurs. Perhaps delve further into the other possible causes of a TGA and see if any of those might be the culprit.

Mayo Clinic has a list of some causes of a TGA:

"The underlying cause of transient global amnesia is unknown. There appears to be a link between transient global amnesia and a history of migraines, though the underlying factors that contribute to both conditions aren't fully understood. Another possible cause is the overfilling of veins with blood due to some sort of blockage or other abnormality with the flow of blood (venous congestion).

While the likelihood of transient global amnesia after these events is very low, some commonly reported events that may trigger it include:

Sudden immersion in cold or hot water

Strenuous physical activity

Sexual intercourse

Medical procedures, such as angiography or endoscopy

Mild head trauma

Acute emotional distress, as might be provoked by bad news, conflict, or overwork"

[humlies in reply to R2B_John]

Thank you John. Since none of the usual causes forTGA really resounded with me, I am, as I said, looking for other possible reasons. This is one of the article which gives a possible link, though I stress it is only possible:

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl....