America has a drug problem: it is called polypharmacy. That is when (mostly seniors) are on five or more drugs at one time, which sometimes interact with each other in negative ways. I once read a comment from a doctor who said when he sees seniors who are on a dozen pharmaceutical drugs, half are to treat the side effects of the other half. What effect can too many medications have on seniors? You would be amazed. The following is from the Associated Press:
Pharmacist Barbara Farrell sees dramatic changes in many people she helps at an outpatient geriatric center in Ottawa, Ontario. Some have emerged from a drug-induced dementia after their meds are reduced. A 77-year-old woman was able to leave her wheelchair and walk with a cane after cutting her daily pills from 32 to 17. She had arrived sedated and unable to communicate, and a few months later, she was back to her hobby of knitting.
Too many seniors are overmedicated. This often happens because they see numerous doctors, who do not talk to each other.
Even in the best-connected health care systems, McCarthy said, information about prescriptions isn’t always shared among doctors. And they won’t know about your over-the-counter drugs, vitamins or nightly CBD gummy.
It is just my opinion, but I suspect physicians often error on the side of prescribing drugs because they believe their patients expect it. Whipping out a prescription pad is a way to signal the visit is over. It is also a way to validate that something was accomplished and the doctor visit was not in vain. It is common for patients to be prescribed medication and never discuss with their doctors if they will ever be able to get off it.
Swallowing a handful of pills is a daily ritual for many people, from young adults coping with anxiety to older adults managing chronic conditions. Overall, 13% of people in the U.S. take five or more prescription drugs. For those 65 and older, that number is 42%.
Some drugs can interact with other drugs and cause unwanted side effects. Some drugs can cause damage if taken for years. Others can stop working after a while. Too often nobody monitors the drugs people take.
“Our metabolism changes as we get older,” said Dr. Elizabeth Bayliss, who studies deprescribing at Kaiser Permanente’s Institute for Health Research in Aurora, Colorado. “Everyone’s ability to metabolize the medications they’ve been taking for a long time may change.”The nonprofit Lown Institute calls the whole situation a medication overload that will cause 4.6 million hospital visits this decade.
Patients, especially seniors, should periodically ask their doctors if they still need all the pills they take. Make a special appointment just for a medication review. Have a list of your medications, doses and how often you take them and take that list with you to your doctor. Discussions can also include your pharmacist. Pharmacists have more training in pharmacology than physicians and may be aware of potential interactions that doctors have never been trained for. While some medications can be stopped immediately, others require tapering off gradually.
Swelling, incontinence, restlessness, insomnia — all are side effects caused by common medications that sometimes get treated with new drugs. McCarthy wants people to ask their doctors a simple question: Could this symptom be related to one of my medications?
There seems to be two extremes when it comes to prescription medications. Some people dutifully take whatever their doctor(s) prescribe without question, and others unilaterally decide to forgo drugs prescribed to them. A better strategy is to talk to your doctor and pharmacist about your prescription drugs to see which ones you really need and which ones you can taper off.