Polypharmacy Defined
The battle, known as polypharmacy, is estimated to cause the death of 100,000 older adults each year.
But, as caregiver, you have the unique ability to identify possible polypharmacy in your Mom or Dad and, by taking specific steps, can correct or eliminate the condition.
The average older adult takes five or more prescriptions drugs each day. In addition, many elderly people take various over-the-counter medications, such as antacids, laxatives or painkillers, which are often used without informing their physician. Each drug, while created to treat or correct a specific medical problem, will cause side effects and many times serious, negative and even life-threatening conditions.
Mom takes 5 or 6 different medicines in the morning. For all different things. Remember when I called her the 8 armed monster? She had arms everywhere pinching , hitting and scratching. No more . Now she just yells a lot. So I think her pills are working. She just yells cause I am so hard headed it's the only way to get my attention. LOL! Everything she takes is from Hospice except the vitamin and I told them I give that to her. It is zinc. It helps her skin. So hopefully she does not have Polypharmacy. She used to have little skin tears on her arms from every little bump . But no more . Her reg. Doc. put her on Zinc years ago.It is great for the skin. I took her off the fish pill. I was giving her fish oil pills every morning to help with many things. But I think she is to far along for them to help. But if I had of known earlier I would of started her on the fish oil.
symptoms of Polypharmacy are
•Tiredness, sleepiness or decreased alertness
•Constipation, diarrhea or incontinence
•Loss of appetite; confusion, either continuous or episodic
•Falls
•Depression or general lack of interest
•Weakness
•Tremors
•Hallucinations, such as seeing or hearing things
•Anxiety or excitability
•Dizziness
•Decreased sexual behavior
•Skin rashes
I have heard of cases where people thought they had Alzheimer's or some other illness and the problem was they were on two much medicine of the wrong combination of medicine. Wouldn't be great if that was all that was wrong with our love ones and we fixed it.
This is an incredible post, Karen. Thank you for enlightening us all...
ReplyDeleteLove to you this gorgeous Palm Sunday~
xoRebecca
Hello! I took my mom off every one of her drugs the last six months of her life ... she was going downhill then, no chance to improve according to her physcian. I actually think she felt better without all the drugs. I think of you often and continue to wish you well ....
ReplyDeleteThanks girls. I just copy and paste stuff I find online but I do learn a lot. I have thought often about taking mom off all her meds. I might someday and see what happens. She is on nothing to keep her alive just stuff to make her pain free and happy. But that is a good thing. Thanks again. It is indeed a pretty palm Sunday.
ReplyDeleteExcellent information and post. Thanks, Karen.
ReplyDeleteThose pharmacutical reps just keep bringing samples to the doctors and of course the reps get paid with how much their doctors prescribe. I think that the pharmacists know more than the doctors sometimes.
Hugs,
Carol
This is really interesting Karen. A close friend of mine is on so much medication and when I ask what is for what she doesn't know. She is just prescribed it and then takes it. Our Lloyds pharmacy has just started advertising medication checks where they will look at what you take and advise you to go back to your GP if there is an imbalance anywhere.
ReplyDeleteGoing by your post this could actually save lives and in some cases considerable unnecessary care costs.
Well done for researching this and I hope your message gets far and wide xx
Thanks for your post Karen. My dad gets his medication from a visiting nurse every morning, and he takes the pills without asking why ... In fact, he says he doesn't take any medication at all ... ;-) Greetings from sunny Netherlands, Inge
ReplyDeleteGreat post Karen...... and it's so true how one drug can interact with another drug and the patient ends up with bad side effects.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this helpful information.
Hugs,
Thank you!! I really don't know how doc's can keep up with all the differant meds. interactions now matter how smart they are.
ReplyDeleteI wish I was in the sunny Netherlands right now.
:)
Never heard of the word before. Thanks for informing us.
ReplyDeleteMy grandmother must be one of the lucky ones. She died when she was 97 a few years back and the only thing she ever took was Tums. : )
Polypharmacy--that's a new one for me! Thanks for the information, Karen. Although I know that my mother's prescription medications have extended her life and time of relative independence, this was a good reminder to be vigilent.
ReplyDelete