Medications that affect balance
Medications can be lifesaving. But they can also increase your risk of falling. They can cause blurred vision, dizziness, drowsiness, impaired alertness or judgment, poor balance, and weakened muscles.
Sometimes problems stem from the sheer number of medicines you take, rather than a single drug. Taking many medications at the same time can boost the severity and frequency of side effects among people of any age. Older adults are especially vulnerable because people's bodies absorb and respond to drugs differently with age.
The list of drugs that increase fall risk includes but is not limited to the following:
- antidepressant drugs, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs)
- anti-anxiety drugs, such as benzodiazepines
- anticholinergic/antispasmodic drugs (used to treat stomach cramps)
- antihistamines
- blood pressure drugs, such as diuretics, calcium channel blockers, ACE inhibitors, and angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs)
- diabetes drugs, such as insulin, glipizide (Glucotrol), and glyburide (DiaBeta, others)
- heart drugs, such as beta blockers and nitrates
- pain drugs, such as opioids and gabapentin (Neurontin)
- sleep drugs, such as zolpidem (Ambien).
While it's true that some medicines are more likely to play a role in falls than others, many of these drugs are surprisingly difficult to avoid.
A review published in JAMA Internal Medicine looked at medication use in a four-month period before and after a hip, shoulder, or wrist fracture among 168,133 Medicare beneficiaries. Before the fracture occurred, three-quarters of study participants had been taking at least one drug known to increase fall risk or decrease bone density, such as those described above. Yet only 7% of these patients stopped taking the problematic drugs after the fracture, while an equal proportion of patients started taking such drugs.
Generally, it's wise to keep the number of medications you take to a minimum. You should routinely discuss your medications with your doctor to ensure this.
For more information on improving your balance, check out Better Balance , a Special Health Report from Harvard Medical School.
Image: © Shana Novak | GettyImages
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