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Medicines
Use
Them Safely
People over age 65
make up 12 percent of the American population, but they take
25 percent of all prescription drugs sold in this country. As
a group, older people tend to have more long-term illnesses--such
as arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease--than
do younger people. Because they may have a number of diseases
or disabilities at the same time, it is common for older people
to take many different drugs.
Drugs can be wonderful
tools for the care of people of all ages. Many people over age
65 owe their lives in part to new and improved medicines and
vaccines. But for older adults, drug use may have risks, especially
when several medicines are used at one time.
In general, drugs
act differently in older people than in younger people. This
may be due to normal changes in the body that happen with age.
For instance, as you get older, you lose water and lean tissue
(mainly muscle) and you gain more fat tissue. This can make
a difference in how long a drug stays in your body and how much
of the drug your body absorbs.
The kidneys and liver
are two important organs that breakdown and remove most drugs
from the body. As you age, these organs may not work as well
as they used to, and drugs may leave the body more slowly.
Keep in mind that
"drugs" can mean both medicines prescribed by your
doctor and over-the-counter (OTC) medicines that you buy without
a prescription. OTC’s can include vitamins and minerals, laxatives,
cold medicines, and antacids. Both prescription and OTC drugs
can cause serious problems. Be very careful to take them exactly
the way your doctor advises. To be safe, don’t mix them together
or with alcohol without first talking to your doctor.
You and your family
should learn about the drugs you take and their possible side
effects. Remember, drugs that are strong enough to cure you
can also be strong enough to hurt you if they aren’t used right.
The following tips
can help you avoid risks and get the best results from your
medicines.
- DO take medicine
in the exact amount and on the same schedule prescribed by
your doctor.
- DO always ask
your doctor about the right way to take any medicine before
you start to use it.
- DO always tell
your doctor about past problems you have had with drugs, such
as rashes, indigestion, dizziness, or not feeling hungry.
- DO keep a daily
record of all the drugs you take. Include prescription and
OTC drugs. Note the name of each drug, the doctor who prescribed
it, the amount you take, and the times of day you take it.
Keep a copy in your medicine cabinet and one in your wallet
or pocketbook.
- DO review your
drug record with the doctor at every visit and whenever your
doctor prescribes new medicine. Your doctor often gets new
information about drugs that might be important to you.
- DO make sure you
can read and understand the drug name and the directions on
the container. If the label is hard to read, ask your pharmacist
to use large type.
- DO check the expiration
dates on your medicine bottles. Throw the medicine away if
it has passed this date.
- DO call your doctor
right away if you have any problems with your medicines.
There are also some
things you should remember not to do:
- DO NOT stop taking
a prescription drug unless your doctor says it’s okay--even
if you are feeling better. If you are worried that the drug
might be doing more harm than good, talk with your doctor.
He or she may be able to change your medicine to another one
that will work just as well.
- DO NOT take more
or less than the prescribed amount of any drug.
- DO NOT mix alcohol
and medicine unless your doctor says it’s okay. Some drugs
may not work well or may make you sick if taken with alcohol.
- DO NOT take drugs
prescribed for another person or give yours to someone else.
Questions To Ask
Your Doctor
Before leaving the
doctor’s office, ask these questions:
- What is the name
of the drug and what will it do?
- How often should
I take it?
- How long should
I take it?
- When should I
take it? As needed? Before, with, after, or between meals?
At bedtime?
- If I forget to
take it, what should I do?
- What side effects
might I expect? Should I report them?
- Is there any material
about this drug that I can take with me?
- If I don’t take
this drug, is there anything else that would work as well?
Resources
The U.S. Food
and Drug Administration (FDA), Consumer Affairs Office has
more information about safe use of medicines. Contact the FDA
at 5600 Fishers Lane, HFE 88, Rockville, MD 20857, or call:
301-443-3170.
The Elder Health
Program has free information about older people and medications.
Contact the Elder Health Program, School of Pharmacy, University
of Maryland at Baltimore, 20 North Pine Street, Baltimore, MD
21201, or call: 410-706-3011.
The National Institute
on Aging (NIA) distributes a free booklet, Talking with
Your Doctor: A Guide for Older People. To order this booklet
or other free materials on health and aging, contact the NIA
Information Center, P.O. Box 8057, Gaithersburg, MD 20898-8057,
or call: 1-800-222-2225, or 1-800-222-4225 (TTY).
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