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Seniors May Need to Avoid These Medications

Rose Traub • January 27, 2019

For most adults, prescription and non-prescription medications provide safe and effective treatment and relief for a variety of medical conditions. However, for people over 65 some medications can cause serious reactions.

For example, your older mother pulls a muscle bowling and takes a muscle relaxant to help with pain. The next day she faints, hits her head, and the muscle pain and stiffness hasn’t gone away.

Or your 85-year old dad is having trouble sleeping. He takes an anti-anxiety pill to aid with sleep. Not only did he not get a good night’s sleep but now he is confused.

Unfortunately, seniors can have some bad reactions to certain drugs because their bodies process them differently.

As the body ages, changes in weight, a slower circulation system, and a loss of muscle mass can all  effect how an elderly person metabolizes medications.

In addition, many older adults regularly take several prescriptions and over-the-counter (OTC) medications which can interact negatively with other drugs.

Concerning side effects in the elderly to certain types of medications include: confusion; dizziness; blurred vision; behavioral problems, sleepiness; weakness; retaining urine or incontinence. In addition, some drugs are less effective in people over 65.

Side effects can lead to falls or serious accidents in our aging loved ones. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, adverse drug events cause approximately 1.3 million emergency department visits each year.

About 350,000 patients each year need to be hospitalized for further treatment after emergency visits for adverse drug events. The majority of those admitted to the hospital from drug reactions are seniors.

Medications to Avoid

In 1991, geriatrician Dr. Mark Beers published a list of both prescription and over-the-counter drugs seniors should avoid.

This has become widely known as the Beers Lis t which is now used as a guideline for physicians in treating patients over the age of 65.

For a complete list of medications on the Beers List click on the link above and be sure to talk to your health care provider. In general, older adults should be wary of the following:

  • Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDS):  Common names are Bayer, Bufferin, Advil, Motrin and Aleve. These may cause stomach bleeding, heartburn, and raise blood pressure increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke. Do not use for long periods of time or on a regular basis.
  • Other Over-the Counter Medications:  Be cautious when taking medications that contain the ingredients antihistamines diphenhydramine and chlorpheniramine. These are commonly found in OTC products used for allergies, upper respiratory infections, and in OTC sleep products. Among the many known brand names are Benadryl, AlleChor, Chlor-Trimeton, Unisom, and Nytol. These medications can cause confusion, dizziness, hallucinations, dry mouth, drowsiness, and constipation.
  • Sleeping Pills and Anti-Anxiety Medications:  In general, it is wise to avoid these medications since they can lead to confusion and fainting increasing fall risk.
  • Muscle Relaxants:  Some common brand names are Soma, Flexeril, and Robaxtin. Muscle relaxants in seniors can cause confusion, fainting, dizziness, cognitive issues, and urinary problems.

Always talk to your medical professional about the OTC and prescribed drugs you are taking.


Disclaimer
All content provided on this blog is for informational purposes only about senior living topics. The information provided on this blog is accurate and true to the best of our knowledge but there may be errors, omissions, or mistakes. Assisted Living Made Simple makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or information found by following any link on this site. The staff at Assisted Living Made Simple are not medical, psychological, legal, or tax professionals. Seek advice from a professional regarding your specific situation.

Make Valentine’s Day Special for Seniors

By Donna Nichols • February 5, 2025
Valentine’s Day tends to zero in on romantic love, but what about our seniors? They too often get forgotten. We have some ways to make Valentine’s Day special for them too. Spend the day with your loved one. Spending quality time with a loved one is more important to a senior than anything else. There is no greater gift than time and please make sure you have enough, so you are not rushed. Do your elderly loved one have a favorite meal? Perhaps you can prepare it for them, or if they are able, you can prepare it together. How fun would that be for you both? Be sure to discuss the enjoyment it brought you while you are sharing the meal together. How about a game of name that love song? You could prepare a playlist of love songs from the generation and play them to see how many they get correct. Or, if you can sing, you can sing some for them and see if they can recollect them. Take some time for reminiscing, go through old photo albums, or ask about old times. Ask them about when you were young and what trouble you caused; this will give you all something to laugh (or cry) about. Has your loved one been cooped up all winter? Take them out for a nice lunch, or weather permitting, a picnic in the park. Go for coffee and a donut, then head out to see a movie. Make a “date” of it. Maybe your senior is into crafts. You can design special Valentine’s Day cards for other family members. This way your senior can express their love for them and send it to them in their own unique way. You can create other greeting cards as well. Bake some special treats together. Does your senior have some favorite cookies or cake? You could bake it together, or you can bake it for them. Then you can enjoy it after you have the meal you prepared together. Yummy, delicious!! You can watch some romantic movies together if they prefer to stay in the house or the weather isn’t so good. If they like to color, you can buy them some of those large coloring books and you can color together. Don’t forget the decorations and the flowers! Make the house or apartment as festive as possible. Even if they live in as assisted living community, you can still decorate their room to the nines! Make it as festive as possible! If you live in another state or can’t be close to your senior for Valentine’s Day, how about sending them a specially crafted care package. You can hand make some gifts, add some photos of family and friends, and send a personally recorded message. You can bake some homemade treats and incorporate some things that are of personal interest to them. This will show how much you care for them and make their Valentine’s Day extra special even if you can’t be with them.  There are so many ways to make Valentine’s Day special for seniors. Let’s not forget about them; make sure to show them they are so loved too!

February is National Heart Month

By Donna Nichols • February 4, 2025
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Hydration Tips for the Winter

By Donna Nichols • January 8, 2025
I’ve written many blogs about the importance of staying hydrated in the summer, but did you know it’s just as important to stay hydrated in the winter months? I’ve shared some important tips on how to stay hydrated in the winter and why. Cold, dry air can dehydrate you easily and quickly. Even if you don’t feel thirsty. Proper hydration can help regulate your body temperature, maintain healthy organ function, and prevent fatigue, dry skin, and headaches. In the colder months, you do not feel thirsty, that’s why it’s so important to make sure you drink plenty of water. Why is winter hydration so important? Colder air tends to be drier causing moisture to evaporate through your breathing which can cause dehydration. In colder weather, you may not feel as thirsty, causing you to become dehydrated quickly. Also, wearing more clothing traps sweat inside your clothing causing more fluid loss. What are some of the benefits of staying hydrated in the winter? • Drinking enough water helps keep your skin hydrated and prevents dryness. This will help with that dry, itchy skin feeling we all get in the winter. • Water helps your body maintain a regular core temperature. Which is so important to maintain in the winter. • Drinking plenty of water supports your immune system, which helps fight off winter colds and the flu. We all want to fight those germs off! • When you are dehydrated, you become tired easily, so drinking plenty of water helps keep your energy levels up. How do you stay hydrated in the winter? • Make sure you drink plenty of water. Set reminders if you must; you probably won’t feel as thirsty in the winter, but you need to keep drinking that water! • You don’t have to drink cold water; room temperature water works. You can also drink tea or water with lemon, as long as you’re getting your water. • If you’re going out, carry a water bottle with you to ensure you have water to drink. • Eat fruits and vegetables that contain water. Tomatoes, lettuce, strawberries, watermelon, cauliflower, mushrooms, cucumber, apples, and pineapple are just a few that contain high water contents. • If you think you’re dehydrated, check your urine; if it’s a darker color, that can suggest dehydration. Urine should be a pale, yellow color. As you can see, staying hydrated in the winter is just as important as staying hydrated in the summer, if not more. In the winter you don’t realize you are thirsty therefore you tend not to drink as much water as you should. This has the potential of wreaking havoc on your body. Please make sure you drink plenty of water in the wintertime as you do in the summertime. We have rebranded our company, we are now Assisted Senior Services! Call us for ANYTHING SENIOR!! 386-847-2322!
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