Drug intake when you are brushing 60

I visited my ophthalmologist recently and when I stood up to leave, we heard a creaking sound. She asked me if that was my hip, and I casually answered, "No that was the sound of my knees". We both laughed and amidst the laughter I thought to myself: "It's that time already. I'm getting old". It didn't help to learn that my eyesight had got worse. This Friday the world will recognise and honour seniors on International Day for the Elderly.

The ageing of Jamaica

Jamaica is getting old. Here in Jamaica we are all living longer than we used to. At least one in every 10 Jamaicans is elderly. However, living longer comes at a price. As we advance in age, we tend to become challenged with one or more chronic illnesses like hypertension, diabetes, arthritis, cancer, heart disease, cholesterol problems, asthma, mental illness, Alzheimer's, glaucoma and osteoporosis.

The link between drugs and ageing

The importance of preventing these diseases becomes more apparent as we age and we may start to take medications to prevent illnesses or to prevent a diagnosed illness from getting worse. Some seniors have more than one chronic illness, and 'chronic' implies that they will have the illness for a long time, so they may take many drugs for years.

Seniors consume around one-third of all medications prescribed, with many consuming up to 12 drug items every day. The trouble is that most old people now earn much less than they used to in their productive 'heyday', since they usually retire after age 60 and drugs don't come cheap.

Benefits of drugs versus risks

Medications have become an integral part of life and have been helping us to live longer. With the huge benefits that the elderly derive from taking the drugs (preventing, controlling and curing disease) come some risks. With the multiple chronic illnesses come multiple drugs for treatment.

Multiple drugs are required during the same senior years when there are age-related changes in the body and its ability to absorb, process and 'clear' these drugs. With increased age, our tissues become more sensitive to drugs. At the same time drugs may accumulate in the tissues since the liver and kidneys slow down in processing and getting rid of the drugs from the system.

Take care

Doctors, therefore, prescribe conservatively for seniors. When we start 'brushing 60', we need to be careful with 'sleeping' tablets, antidepressants, sedating antihistamines like diphenhydramine, all of which act on the brain. Old people who take these drugs are likely to get sleepy, light-headed and confused, which increases the risk of falling and breaking bones.

Adverse drug reactions are common amongst seniors, and more drugs equal more risks. When there are more drugs prescribed to the older person, it's also likely that the person will not take all the medications as prescribed.

This high-risk situation is compounded when the older person is seeing several health care professionals at the same time, and when he/ she lives alone. Patients should carry medication (containers) with each visit to the doctor.

Dahlia McDaniel is a pharmacist and final year doctoral candidate in public health at the University of London; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com.