Doctor’s Diary May 26, 2018: Overdosing elder seniors

(Snippets from the frontline)

Overdosing elder seniors

“Something’s wrong with grandma!”

We expect age to diminish health, but who would have thought the overuse of medication might be just as detrimental?

Death from the opioid crisis dominates the news, but for decades elder senior “polypharmacy” has resulted in daily overdoses from legitimate prescriptions written by physicians. 

Here is what seniors can do:

– Yearly, devote the entirety of one primary care doctor visit going over medication;

– Bring to that visit all prescription and OTC drugs, eye drops, skin creams, and supplements;

– Clean out your medicine chest and dispose of expired drugs;

– Keep an updated list of all medication, and what they are for;

– Learn to use a computer to research side effects and interactions;

– Know your body and take notes of possible physical and mental side effects especially when starting a prescription; caregivers be mindful of any changes;

– Start at the lowest dose when beginning a medication;

– Make sure ALL your doctors are informed when a new medication is prescribed;

– Work with your physician to eliminate drugs when they are duplicating a use, have too many side effects or interactions, or nowadays even cost too much.

Grandma should never be a victim of overdosing.

Gene Uzawa Dorio, M.D.