If you’re over 50, there’s an excellent chance that your doctor has you on pills. If you factor in supplements, such as a multi-vitamin, glucosamine, or others, you might feel like you’re eating a fourth meal before bed. We in the medical community call this “polypharmacy.” I call it America’s other drug problem.
You’ll see me write about polypharmacy a lot, but before I type out another word, know that if you’re under a doctor’s care, please don’t change what you’re doing. You may, however, want to ask your doctor about it next time you’re in their office. If you’re a medical professional, now would be a great time to research the issue and consider your response.
According to the CDC, one-third of people over 65 regularly take five or more prescription medications. That fact alone puts older adults at risk for significant side effects like falls. Cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes top the list of reasons, but older people are likely to be dealing with multiple chronic conditions. Modern medications are amazing, but they’re not the miracles that we may have been led to believe. Each one comes with side effects and adverse drug reactions. You can trust your doctor to consider these issues in your unique circumstance. Still, anything can result when you add an over-the-counter cold medication, multi-vitamin, or alternative medicine to the mix.
For now, I want my readers to be aware of the issue. In future articles, I’ll write more in-depth about polypharmacy and what you can do about it. In the meantime, the National Institute on Aging posted an article about the dangers of polypharmacy. You can read their article here: https://www.nia.nih.gov/news/dangers-polypharmacy-and-case-deprescribing-older-adults
