Note When Using The Drug In The Elderly

Older people often have more illnesses, have to take more medicines and are often chronic. One disease had to take a few medications multiplied by a few diseases. Therefore, the elderly are the subjects that consume the most drugs, so when using, be alert for unwanted side effects (ADR) in this object. The rate of ADR in the age group 60-70 can double the rate in people 30-40 years old.
Some risks due to medication
Sleep disorders
When treating diseases for the elderly, some drugs that cause this disorder include bronchodilators (causing sleeplessness), diuretics (causing insomnia due to nocturia), corticosteroids (prolonged use may cause sleep apnea)

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Falling posture of blood pressure
This phenomenon is very common for the elderly, that is when using the sedative, sedative drugs; anti-parkingson drugs, antihypertensive drugs, H1 antihistamines (chlopheniramine, cold medicines).
Elderly people taking this medication should be cautious in changing positions. For example, when taking medicine sitting upright must slowly If standing up, it is easy to cause a drop in standing posture (dizziness) is very dangerous.




Elderly people with hypotension should be cautious in changing positions
Cognitive disorders
There are some drugs with side effects that cause confusion, forgetfulness, memory loss such as antidepressants, anticonvulsants (phenytoin or barbiturate), antihypertensive drugs.
Even some antibiotics have these side effects. In the elderly, this disorder is easily confused with the phenomenon of senility impairment.
Unbalance, causing falls in the elderly
With age, the body's ability to keep balance decreases with the side effects of the drug (making the body unable to regulate its posture) easily causing falls.
Elderly falls are dangerous because at this time the bone is already thin (losing calcium in the bone, losing the flexibility of the bone), so the brittle bones are very brittle and hard to heal.
Some medications to pay attention to are hypertension medications (which can easily cause orthostatic hypotension), benzodiazepine tranquilizers, antidepressants (balance disorders make elderly people more likely to fall).
Reducing body temperature
In the elderly, the ability to regulate body temperature decreases Some drugs: phenothiazine, benzodiazepines, opid (codeine, proprapamine) .



.. are very easy to cause hypothermia in the elderly. If too low to know timely emergency very easily fatal.
Benzodiazepines are easy to cause hypothermia in the elderly
Sexual dysfunction
Not only due to the age process, but many drugs during use affect sexual activity in the elderly.
For example, drugs that act on the central nervous system (antidepressants, antihypertensive drugs such as methyldopa, beta blockers, reserpine ...



) may reduce libido, causing "impotence" in men. With the above risks, the advice for the elderly should not arbitrarily use the drug without a doctor's prescription.
Note when using the drug in the elderly
Elderly people due to decreased intestinal motility, reduced secretion should constipation. Therefore, the proportion of the elderly taking laxatives is also higher.
When a drug is used together with a laxative, it is likely that the drug will be ejected early (because laxatives increase intestinal motility), which reduces the absorption that makes the effect of the drug used simultaneously with laxatives Decreased or ineffective colon.
When selling medicine to the elderly should ask if they are taking laxatives or not (can be used by themselves or prescribed by a doctor).
Along with the older age, the memory of the elderly will decrease, so when using the drug, the elderly may forget the name of the drug, the dosage or mistakenly the medicine, the dose ..



. This will be very dangerous, so the medication should be taken. support of relatives (children, grandchildren ..)
Osteoarthritis, osteoporosis in elderly people who are afraid of movement should take medicine in a lying position so that the drug does not reach the stomach combined with low water intake so the drug remains in the esophagus (causing ulcers with some medicine), causing kidney stones (like sulffamid) if you drink less water. Therefore, when taking the drug should be in a standing position, and drink with plenty of water.
Osteoarthritis pain, osteoporosis make elderly people afraid to exercise
In parallel with the selection of specific drugs for treatment, the selection of drugs in an easy-to-use form is a matter of concern.
The sharpness of the eyes of the elderly is reduced, so it is necessary to prioritize drugs with clear labels so that the elderly can read and get them accurately.




Among the oral drugs, perhaps the tablet form is the most annoying to the elderly, especially the closed-sized pills too large because they are difficult to swallow. Priority is given to small or liquid tablets as prescribed.
In order to maximize the effectiveness of the drug and minimize the number of drug-induced complications, the elderly should not use it on their own.
When you are using the drug if you notice any abnormalities, do not give up or stop using it or replace another medicine, you must tell your doctor for appropriate treatment..

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