Seniors are living longer than ever before thanks to healthier lifestyles and advances in medicine. In some cases, prescription drugs help seniors survive and thrive, even with diagnoses that once might have killed them. Eighty-seven percent of older adults take at least one prescription medication. Though these drugs can save lives, they can also cause serious medication errors, especially when a senior takes multiple drugs. Two-thirds of seniors in long-term care facilities take 10 or more prescription drugs, and 36 percent of community-dwelling seniors use five or more medications.
It is safe to take multiple prescriptions with the consent and oversight of a doctor. But the more medications a senior uses, the greater the likelihood becomes that they will make a medication error. Prescription medications can also interact with one another, causing dangerous or even deadly side effects. Here’s what you need to know.
Prescription drugs work by changing the body’s chemistry. They can also change one another’s chemistry. In some cases, this reduces the effectiveness of one or more pills. It can also cause serious side effects. For example, the antidepressants fluoxetine and phenelzine can change serotonin levels, causing a dangerous serotonin syndrome. People with serotonin syndrome may seem confused, anxious, or even like they have dementia. Left untreated, serotonin syndrome can damage the heart and cause death.
It’s important to tell a doctor about all the drugs your loved one takes, to double-check with a pharmacist, and then to check for yourself. Click here to check for dangerous prescription drug interactions.
The food you eat and drinks you consume can also affect medication. Something as seemingly mundane as grapefruit juice, for example, interacts with many medications. Likewise, caffeine can change the way your body metabolizes or reacts to certain drugs. Because it is a stimulant, it can amplify the effects of other stimulants, such as Adderall or Ritalin. Some medications contain alcohol, making it dangerous to mix them with alcoholic beverages. Alcohol also interacts dangerously with drugs that slow the central nervous system, including a group of anti-anxiety drugs called benzodiazepines.
It’s common for seniors to see different doctors for different conditions. When those doctors don’t communicate, they may not get the full health picture. So a cardiologist might know about your loved one’s high blood pressure, but not their depression. This can put seniors at risk of taking drugs that are contraindicated for certain conditions. For example, people with a history of substance abuse are more likely to become addicted to opioid pain relievers. Additionally, certain nasal decongestants may not be safe for people with high blood pressure.
Drug-related accidents and dangerous interactions are preventable tragedies. A few simple strategies can help you keep the senior you love safe:
It might feel overwhelming at first to manage your senior’s medications. But if you engage with physicians and pharmacists involved in your senior’s care and remain diligent for reactions or irregularities, your senior can remain safe in their home.
