If you guessed, "Dizziness", you are right! Unfortunately, if the medication doesn't make you dizzy, it may cause drowsiness, light-headedness, nausea or fatigue. Obviously, these side effects increase the risk of losing your balance and if you're taking more than one medication, the risk of falling increases proportionately.
This dilemma puts older adults in a Catch-22 situation; you need the medication to manage a disease condition but the medication increases the risk of a fall. The solution? Fall prevention researchers encourage people to get educated about the medications they are taking and how each drug affects your body.
It's also good to know how the drug interacts with other medications you are taking and the foods you eating. Some medications may cancel out the desired effects of another while some drugs can enhance the effects of others. If you are getting your prescriptions from more than one pharmacy, take all your medications to ONE pharmacist and ask about drug-drug interactions.
Similarly, some foods can cancel out the desired effect of certain medications. For instance, grapefruit juice can significantly change the body's ability to breakdown some medications. A common drug that is affected by grapefruit juice is LIPITOR. For more common grapefruit-drug interactions visit this link: CLICK HERE.
Get educated about what you are taking and how the drug affects you. Learn about drug-drug interactions and food-drug interactions. A great online resource is http://drugs.com
Check out my book, "The Complete Guide to Fall Prevention™" to learn about other medication management tips to reduce the risk of a fall.
Increasing your awareness,
The Fall Prevention Lady
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