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Are you taking several medications? If you’re like most seniors, you have more than a few prescription bottles in your cabinet.
According to pharmaceutical giant Merck, almost 90% of seniors take one prescription drug on a regular basis, while 80% regularly take at least two drugs, and 36% regularly take at least five medications. In addition to those prescription drugs, seniors also tend to take several different types of over the counter medications.1
If you’re taking multiple medications, you might have heard the term “polypharmacy,” which the CDC defines as taking five or more drugs on a regular basis to treat one or more chronic conditions.2
Sometimes polypharmacy is necessary for good health. For instance, someone might be on several blood pressure medications and diabetes medications to control their high blood pressure and glucose levels. When these drugs are taken properly, they do much more good than harm. Taking those medications on time, every time, can help protect you from stroke, heart attack, and the consequences of uncontrolled diabetes.
Ensuring safety when taking so many medications requires regular discussions with the doctor and pharmacist. These medical professionals have an obligation to look for drug interactions and other problems that might arise from taking several prescription medications. As the patient, you have the obligation to take the medications as directed and be honest with the doctor about how you are feeling and how the medications are working.
If you are taking several medications, medical alert systems for seniors are highly recommended. If you feel unusual symptoms, reaching out for help right away matters – time might be of the essence.
These medication tips can help seniors and elderly adults avoid problems and live a healthier, longer life.
1. Be Alert to Changes in Your Condition
Our bodies change as we get older, and sometimes those changes can come quickly. That could mean a medication that worked like a charm a few years ago suddenly seems to be giving you problems.
For example, your liver might not work as well as it used to, which makes it tougher for your body to break down medications. Your kidneys might not filter as well, which could mean your body holds onto the drugs longer than it would have a few years ago.
This can also be true with over the counter medications. Someone with allergies might have always sworn by a daily Zyrtec to combat them, but one summer you realize that your symptoms aren’t relieved as well as they used to be. Your body no longer uses the drug appropriately, and so it’s less effective. Switching to a new allergy medication might alleviate your symptoms right away.
Making a switch with over the counter medications might not seem like a big deal at first blush, but it could be. The active ingredients in the new drug might interact with prescription drugs or other over the counter medications you are already taking. That’s why even the slightest change in meds should be brought to your doctor’s attention, as well as your pharmacist who can check for possible interactions.
You might notice that a drug you’ve been on for a long time still works fine, but the side effects are getting worse. Studies have found that the natural physical changes in elderly people make them more susceptible to side effects than younger people are.
In this case, your doctor could prescribe a different medication that works better with your body, or could break up your current medication into smaller doses taken through the day instead of a once-a-day dose.
But again, the key to medication success lies in telling your doctor how you are feeling and finding solutions together.
2. Take Medications on Time, Every Time
It’s a sure bet that you’ve been on antibiotics at some point in your life. When you are given a course of antibiotics to fight an infection, your doctor and pharmacist likely told you to take all the medication exactly as directed. Even if you feel better after a few days, you must still finish the course of medication to avoid a rebound effect. That’s when the infection returns in a stronger form that has adapted to the antibiotic and makes it harder to treat.
Make sure you are very clear about when to take your medication and why. For instance, some medications work best when taken in the evening instead of in the morning. Some should be taken with a meal, while some work well on an empty stomach.
Here are some other tips to help:
· Read the prescription labels and any other information given to you by medical professionals. Read them every time, even if you have been taking the medication for a while, just in case there is updated information you need to know.
· Never skip doses or stop taking a medication without speaking to your doctor first. Changing your medication without medical advisement could lead to terrible health consequences.
· Don’t take medications that are prescribed for others. Though those meds might work well for them, they could have serious side effects or other problems for you.
· Understand what the drugs you are on are meant to do. You should be able to recognize each pill in the case and know exactly why you are taking it. If you’re not sure, ask your doctor.
· Using a medication reminder, organizer, and dispenser can help take the guesswork out of taking medication. You won’t have that dreaded moment of wondering if you took your pills this morning – you can be rest assured that you did, because the dispenser gave you what you needed at the proper time.
3. Know How to Store Medications
Most medications are easy to store – they just need to be kept in a cool, dry place and stay in their original containers (until you put them into a medication dispenser). Never store your medication in the bathroom as it tends to be wet and humid, and avoid exposing the drugs to extremes, such as leaving them in your vehicle during the heat of summer or the cold of winter.
But some medications need different handling. For instance, some diabetes drugs must be refrigerated to maintain their potency. Make sure you know exactly how to handle the different medications you are on and store them properly.
If your doctor switches you to another medication, discard the previous prescription, even if you still have some left. This helps ensure that you don’t make the mistake of going back to the old medication. And of course, if any medications are expired – prescription or over the counter – they might still be safe but have much less potency. Get rid of those too.
4. Don’t Wait to Get Help
There are many things that can cause drug interactions or can lead to a drug not working as well. A good example of this is grapefruit juice, which is notorious for interacting with medications. In some cases, a glass of grapefruit juice can cancel out the good effects of a certain medicine!
But you might also experience interactions when you take an over the counter drug to treat a cold. Or you might notice that though you’re not taking anything new, you are feeling strange side effects.
In any of these situations, waiting it out is never a good idea. If you experience any problems that concern you, get in touch with the doctor right away. Serious interactions or side effects warrant a call to emergency services. If you have a fall alert on hand, now is the time to press the button and get the help you need.
Keep in mind that interactions and other problems can also come from herbal supplements and home remedies. Though these products are usually okay to take, one bad interaction could cause serious problems. For example, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health reports that ginkgo biloba supplements can interact unfavorably with blood thinners, and ginseng might decrease the effectiveness of medications for high blood pressure, cholesterol, and depression.3
Talk to your doctor before taking any herbal supplements, even if they seem to contain safe ingredients.
5. Keep Track of Your Medications
Write down everything you are taking, including prescription, over the counter, and herbal supplements. Keep an ongoing list of everything and make a point of updating it when you start or discontinue a medication. You should also note who prescribed a particular drug and why, as well as who recommended any over the counter drugs and supplements you are taking.
Write down the dosages of each drug and how often you take it. Makes notes on any side effects. Even if a particular side effect isn’t bothersome right now, it could become a problem in the future as your body changes with age. Writing it down now can help you pinpoint what’s going on if it does happen.
This is especially important because many side effects, such as weakness or dizziness, can mimic medical conditions and make you think something else is going wrong with you!
Take that list to your doctor every time you go. Ask them to go over the list every time and look for potential problems with interactions. Also give that list to other medical providers you encounter, such as dentists or physical therapists. If they choose to prescribe something for you, they will need to know exactly what you are already taking.
6. Know the Limitations
When you are taking certain medications, you might need to avoid particular foods, drinks, or other drugs that might interact unfavorably with the prescriptions.
But even if you know that there are certain things you can’t have in conjunction with the medications you are on, there could be times when you simply don’t think about what might happen.
A good example of this is having a drink or two when out with friends. Having a single drink might seem harmless (and is usually just fine), but alcohol could exacerbate any side effects of your medications. This can be especially pronounced if you are on a medication that can cause dizziness, weakness, loss of coordination, or sleepiness.
Ask your doctor what is okay for you when you are taking prescription medications. You might be advised to stay away from alcohol, certain foods, and herbal remedies. This will help prevent the possibility of severe side effects and interactions, as well as help ensure your medications work as they are intended.
If you experience significant side effects from any medication, it pays to have a personal emergency alert system at your fingertips. A medical alert device from Alert1 allows you to simply press a button to get the help you need as soon as you need it. From contacting a family friend to calling for emergency services, medical alert technology is an ideal safety net that will allow you to live your life with more vigor and less worry.
