TOO MUCH MEDICINE CAN MAKE YOU SICK

PART ONE OF TWO PARTS

Today’s entry is a ‘wake up and smell the coffee’ message. Older adults (that’s 60 and over) are generally overmedicated, suffer debilitating and sometimes irreversible side effects from sometimes inappropriate or wrong-dosage medications and are at the mercy of a healthcare system that is patently ageist.

The contents here are taken from a wonderful newsletter, WORST PILLS BEST PILLS (September, 2007 issue). It is edited by Sidney M. Wolfe, M.D. with Public Citizen, a national not-for-profit, public interest organization.

The front page article in this newsletter presents staggering figures about Drug-Induced Diseases among older Americans that occur each year in the United States.


ADVERSE DRUG REACTIONS
9.6 million older Americans suffer adverse drug reactions. At least 37% of these reactions are not reported to the primary care provider because the patient did not realize the reaction was drug-related. Dr. Wolfe believes this is a result of the primary care provider not explaining possible adverse effects to older adults when medicines are prescribed.

DRUG-RELATED AUTOMOBILE INJURIES
At least 16,000 injuries from auto crashes involving older adults are attributable to the use of psychoactive drugs, specifically benzodiazepines* and tricyclic antidepressants**

HIP FRACTURES AND SUBSEQUENT HIGH MORTALITY RATE
32,000 older adults suffer hip fractures that can be attributed to drug-induced falls. Of these, more than 1,500 will result in death. Drugs usually involved: sleeping pills, minor tranquilizers, antipsychotic drugs and antidepressants. Dr. Sidney M. Wolfe, editor, states that all of these categories of drugs are often prescribed unnecessarily, especially in older adults.

DRUG-INDUCED DEMENTIA
Approximately 163,000 older adults suffer from serious mental impairment (memory loss, dementia) either caused or worsened by drugs. These drugs may be minor tranquilizers or sleeping pills, drugs to treat high blood pressure or antipsychotic drugs.

DRUG-INDUCED TARDIVE DYSKINESIA
73,000 older Americans suffer this very serious and often irreversible side effect of prescribed antipsychotic drugs. This disorder is characterized by involuntary movements of the face, arms and legs. About 80% of older adults receiving antipsychotic drugs do not have schizophrenia or other conditions that justify the use of these powerful drugs.

DRUG-INDUCED PARKINSONISM
At least 61,000 older adults have developed this drug-induced disorder due to the use of antipsychotic drugs such as Haldol, Thorazine, Mellaril, Stelazine or Prolixin.

Other drugs prescribed for gastrointestinal problems can also cause this same drug-induced disorder: raglan, Compazine and Phenergan


*Short-acting benzodiazepines are generally used for patients with sleep-onset insomnia (difficulty falling asleep) without daytime anxiety. Shorter-acting benzodiazepines used to manage insomnia include estazolam (ProSom®), flurazepam (Dalmane®), temazepam (Restoril®), and triazolam (Halcion®). Midazolam (Versed®), a short-acting benzodiazepine, is utilized for sedation, anxiety, and amnesia in critical care settings and prior to anesthesia. It is available in the United States as an injectable preparation and as a syrup (primarily for pediatric patients).

Benzodiazepines with a longer duration of action are utilized to treat insomnia in patients with daytime anxiety. These benzodiazepines include alprazolam (Xanax®), chlordiazepoxide (librium®), clorazepate (Tranxene®), diazepam (Valium®, halazepam (Paxipam®), lorzepam (Ativan®), oxazepam (Serax®), prazepam (Centrax®), and quazepam (Doral®). Clonazepam (Klonopin®), diazepam, and clorazepate are also used as anticonvulsants.

**If you would like more information about drugs in this category, select the URL below and paste it into your Browser’s address box:

http://www.healthyplace.com/communities/depression/treatment/antidepressants/antidepressant_list.asp