The medications we take help us manage a variety of health conditions that become more common as we grow older, such as high blood pressure and cholesterol, diabetes, arthritis, heart disease and sleep problems. Yet we might take so many medications that managing them is a health problem itself! Our bodies process substances differently as we age. For example, it can take longer for a medication to be eliminated from the body, which can allow an unsafe level of the drug to build up. Many common drugs can have negative side effects, especially combined with other drugs. We might even end up taking a new medication to address the side effects of an old one.
Along with managing our health conditions, it is also important to manage the medications we take for those and other illnesses.
Here are some suggestions from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA):
Take your medications as recommended, with ongoing input from your doctor. Says Dr. Sandra L. Kweder, a medical officer at the FDA, “As a society, we have become reliant on pharmaceuticals to help us attain a longer and higher-quality life. It’s a wonderful success of Western medicine.” However, she cautions, “The goal should be for each of us to access that benefit, but respect that medications are serious business. To get the most out of them, you should take them with great care and according to directions. Medications that treat chronic conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes typically only work when taken regularly and as directed. You have to take them continuously to maintain control over your condition.” Dr. Kweder warns seniors not to skip doses or change the dose of a medication without consulting their healthcare provider. She says, “Every medicine is really different and is dosed according to what’s been tested.”
It is easy to be confused about how, when, and for how long to take a particular prescription or nonprescription drug, Especially if taking a multitude of different medications. Make a list of the medications you take, including the dosage, how often you take it and what it is for. Keep your list up to date at all times and give a copy to the person you list as your emergency contact in documents, so they can relay the information to healthcare personnel if you are unable to communicate.
Be alert for side effects. When we pick up a prescription, we often
receive an information sheet that contains a long list of possible
negative side effects of the drug. Don’t ignore those warnings; it’s
good to know what might happen so you can recognize a problem right
away. Otherwise, you might chalk up symptoms to an illness, to “just
growing older” or even to Dementia/Alzheimer’s disease! Problems can be
caused by a single drug, or the interaction of one medication with
another one. That includes prescription drugs, nonprescription
preparations, herbals—and don’t forget that alcohol is also a drug.
Talk to your doctor about all the medications you take. The FDA
recommends having your prescription and nonprescription drugs reviewed
at least once a year. Report side effects and other questions you have
about each medication. Be sure you know why you are taking a particular
drug and if it’s still necessary. Studies show seniors might start a
medication and then just keep on taking it—even if, in some cases, it is
no longer necessary. Especially when a senior sees several doctors,
it’s easy for an unneeded drug to be overlooked, or for a senior to take
drugs that interact negatively with each other. Dr. Kweder says,
“Sometimes, especially if you’re seeing multiple providers, certain
questions can fall through the cracks. But there is no such thing as a
stupid question about medicine.” Make sure you are heard and that you
have a full understanding of the answers you are given
Source: IlluminAge AgeWise reporting on recommendations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
