Assistant Professor
Joseph A. Woelfel, PhD, RPh., FASCP, is the Director of Pharmaceutical Care Clinics and...read more
Pharmacology
Side Effects of Common Medications & How They Affect the Aging Body
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Last month we discussed how our bodies change as we age. Aging also makes us more prone to having side effects from medications. So what medications should be avoided in the elderly?
Dr. Mark Beers, writing in the Archives of Internal Medicine in 1997 and in 2003, identified medications that are potentially inappropriate for older adults. The Beers Criteria are now widely used by physicians and pharmacists to identify medications that require special monitoring in the elderly. Following is a list of the most common medicines listed in the Beers Criteria that may cause problems for older adults.
Type of Drug |
Brand Names |
Side Effects or Dangers |
Tricyclic Antidepressants |
Elavil® and Sinequan® |
Dry mouth, urinary retention, constipation, dry eyes and confusion. |
Gastrointestinal Antispasmodic Drugs |
Bentyl®, Levsin®, Pro-Banthine®, Donnatal® and Librax® |
Dry mouth, urinary retention, constipation, dry eyes and confusion. |
Antidiabetic Drugs |
Diabinese® |
Serious low blood sugar and increased fluid retention and low sodium (hyponatremia). Symptoms include nausea/vomiting, irritability, headache, disorientation, muscle cramps, weakness and delirium. |
Antihypertensive Drugs |
Aldomet® |
May lower the heart rate and increase depression. |
Catapres® |
May cause low blood pressure when rising. Also central nervous system effects such as drowsiness or dizziness. |
|
Antiarrhythmic Drugs |
Norpace® |
Dry mouth, urinary retention, constipation, dry eyes and confusion. May induce heart failure. |
Benzodiazepines |
Dalmane®, Librium® and Valium® |
Prolonged sedation and increased risk of falls and fractures. |
Narcotic Analgesics |
Talwin® |
Causes more confusion and hallucinations than other narcotic agents and does not have pure pain-blocking effects. |
Demerol® |
Can cause central nervous system stimulation and seizures in individuals with reduced kidney function. |
|
Barbiturates |
Seconal®, Nembutal® |
Highly addictive. May cause prolonged sedation and increased risk of falls and fractures. |
Antiplatelet Drugs |
Ticlid® | More toxic than other alternatives such as aspirin. |
Cardiac Drugs |
Digoxin for heart failure (doses greater than 0.125mg daily) |
Kidney clearance of the drug may be decreased, increasing the potential for toxicity. |
Medications That Require Special Monitoring
Among patients 65 years and older, three drugs that typically require ongoing monitoring are insulin, warfarin, and digoxin. These were implicated in one in every three estimated adverse drug events treated in emergency departments and 41.5% of estimated hospitalizations. This was described in the October 2006 publication of the Journal of the American Medical Association. If you or a family member is taking one of the medications mentioned, watch for possible side effects. Discuss any changes with your doctor and pharmacist.
Stay active in both mind and body...take care!
Dr. Joe Woelfel
Posted in Holistic Health, How-to's, Pain Management, Pharmacology: Dr. Joel Woelfel, Tips for Healthy Living
what an informative post. I’m heading in to check my mom’s medicine cabinet. thanks for this great wealth of information. I’m going to email this to some of my friends that have had questions about some meds their parents are taking.
I often go with my mother to her medical appointments and as she was raised in an era when anyone in a white lab coat must be listened to and not bothered with questions it wasn’t until a few years ago that I realized she often doesn’t ask *any* questions. She started taking warfarin and was told that she would be closely monitored while on it. Well, she never asked why. I called and found out about the diet, but I really feel like most of us who have to not only watch our parents age, but watch *over* them in old age. I didn’t know about the Beers Criteria so I plan on looking up everything she is taking and asking her doctors more questions!