Creators Syndicate

FIGHT BACK!  BY DAVID HOROWITZ 

Prescription for Ill Health 

        Nearly 7 million elderly Americans are taking the wrong 
prescription medication -- and sometimes with dangerous  consequences,
according to a study published recently in the  Journal of the American
Medical Association. 
        A research team from the Harvard Medical School studied  the
medical records of more than 6,000 older people during  1987 (the last
year for which such records are available).  They found that 23.5
percent of those people were taking  prescribed medications that are
either dangerous or inap- propriate for people of their age. These
include pain  killers, muscle relaxants and sedatives. 
        Most health experts agree that 23.5 percent represents  only a
fraction of the real problem. Some say that more than  half of all
people over 65 in this country are either being  overmedicated or given
drugs they shouldn't be taking at all. 
        Part of the problem is that young people can tolerate  some
drugs better than older patients. As people age, their  kidney and
liver functions slow down. Drugs stay longer in  their systems and have
longer lasting effects. Seniors also  take more prescribed and
over-the-counter medicines, which  increases the risk of hazardous drug
interactions. 
        Sometimes, the side effects of drugs like Valium and  Librium
are mistaken for the effects of aging -- such as  drowsiness,
dizziness, loss of energy and mental confusion.  More severe side
effects may include seizures, respiratory  failure and heart trouble.
Such symptoms are often  misdiagnosed by physicians who either don't
know what drugs  their patients are taking or are unaware of their
effects.  Falls and injuries caused by sedative effects are seldom 
reported as being drug-related. 
        Sometimes, drugs are simply the easy way out. If a  patient
can't sleep, the doctor prescribes a sleeping pill.  The real problem
may be diet, lack of exercise, emotional  distress or maybe just having
too much caffeine during the  day. But instead of dealing with the real
problem, the  patient takes a pill. 
        People put themselves at risk by the way they obtain or  take
their medicines. If they go to different doctors for  different
conditions, they may be prescribed a variety of  different drugs that
can cancel each other out or have  serious effects when taken together.
They may even borrow  medications from their friends, which can be
extremely  dangerous. 
        Here are some tips to avoid getting the wrong drugs in  the
wrong combination. 
        -- Pick one doctor whom you trust to coordinate all your 
medication. 
        -- Gather up every medicine you use, prescription and  over the
counter, and take them all to your doctor for a  complete medication
review. 
        -- Ask about alternatives. Will aspirin work as well as  a
prescription pain killer? Would a change of diet or ex- ercise reduce
your need for a particular medication? Ask your  doctor. 
        -- Get all your medications from a single source. Most 
pharmacies keep computer records on their customers and the  medicines
they take. These records can help your pharmacist  spot potentially
dangerous drug combinations. 
        -- Take all medicines according to your doctor's  instructions
-- exactly. 
        -- Pay close attention to warnings about what foods and  drinks
to avoid while on medication -- especially alcohol,  which can be
deadly when taken with certain sedatives. 
        If you have any questions or comments, please write to  David
Horowitz in the Consumer Forum+ (go FIGHTBACK). COPYRIGHT 1994 CREATORS
SYNDICATE, INC.