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Healthy Aging By Sharon Johnson Seniors need prescription for proper pill usage Consider the words that follow as a flashing yellow light. As we age, medications become a significant part of our lives. Medical conditions our grandparents died from are easily treated with a simple prescription. We are blessed with availability and burdened with an overwhelming array of pills. As we add years, we are more at risk of experiencing problems with medications. Older people are more likely than any other age group to have one or more chronic diseases. Multiple diseases can mean multiple medications and complex dosage schedules. Normal aging alters the way these medications are absorbed and metabolized in our bodies. Sometimes the effect is insignificant. Sometimes it can be dramatic. Vicki Schmall, professor emeritus at Oregon State University, indicates that at least 50 percent of people who take medications do not take them correctly. The examples range from thinking "more was better" to dealing with a forgotten dose by doubling the next dose. My 88-year-old aunt takes 14 medications each day. Her day is shaped by the need to take a particular medication at a designated time. Her medications are organized into a multi-compartment, plastic container marked with the hours of the day. She identifies each bottle cap with descriptive words like "pain" or "sleep" to protect against nighttime confusion. Wisely, Aunt Ethel is on a first name basis with her pharmacist. In her purse, she carries a pharmacy printout of all her medications and has it with her when she sees her health provider. Aunt Ethel knows (after some rather heavy duty lobbying by me) that she should take her pills with water and not a cup of coffee. There is enormous potential for an adverse drug reaction with the number of pills she is taking and she is accordingly watchful. It is not at all unusual for an older person to take five or more medications in a day (14 is a little over the top). The risk of adverse reaction increases dramatically with each additional medication taken. If you take eight or more medications (over the counter medications and herbal teas need to be included in that count) your risk of interaction and resulting complications is nearly 100 per cent. I have advised Aunt Ethel that drug reactions often mimic signs or symptoms of other diseases. And I have talked to other family members and her friends about staying vigilant to any change in behavior. For example, mental confusion, which is sometimes misdiagnosed as a sign of Alzheimer�s Disease or dementia, may be caused by medication taken for heart problems. Today�s medicines have tremendous benefits � they cure disease, help manage symptoms, reduce pain and speed recovery. But along with the benefits, some medications carry risks and all medications can produce undesirable side effects. Remember the reference to the flashing yellow light. The best protection is basic knowledge. Know what pills you are taking. Quiz both your doctor and your pharmacist. "You said take two before bed? Is that just before I go to sleep or right after supper? I have selfish motives for my level of concern about medication management. I am planning a truly gala celebration in my Aunt Ethel�s back yard on her 90th birthday. Sharon Johnson is an assistant professor in family and community development at OSU Extension and a member of the Senior Advisory Council. Reach her at [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.