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10 Rules for Safer Drug Use
Ten straightforward ways to reduce you and your family’s chances of being injured by drugs. The rules include communicating more effectively with your health care providers, using the lowest effective dose of your medication, adjusting the dose for your age and deciding whether you are experiencing an adverse effect from your drugs.
Drugs That Can Increase the Risk of Heat-Related Illness
Intense heat can not only affect mental health and well-being, but heat waves may also cause life-threatening conditions or other injuries, such as accidental falls, and lead to emergency-room visits or hospitalizations. Learn about drugs that are associated with an increased risk of heat injury because they may interfere with the body’s ability to regulate its core temperature or to tolerate heat exposure.
Important Drug Interactions With Alcohol
Alcohol can have clinically important and potentially dangerous interactions with many prescription and over-the-counter medications. These drug interactions are important to keep in mind during the holiday season when even people who rarely drink beer, wine or liquor may drink more alcohol than usual.
Drugs That Can Be Dangerous for Older Adults
Adults aged 65 or older are at high risk of experiencing drug interactions and adverse events. This article highlights five drug classes that are associated with increased risks for older adults: benzodiazepines and Z drugs; anticholinergic medications; sulfonylureas, drugs for type 2 diabetes; cardiovascular and anti-thrombotic medications; and antipsychotics in older adults with dementia.
Medication-Induced Hypoglycemia (Low Blood Sugar)
Learn about drugs that can cause hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), including antidiabetic drugs, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, beta-blockers, and some antiarrhythmic drugs and antibiotics.
Drugs That Can Raise Blood Glucose Levels
Abnormally high blood glucose (hyperglycemia) is a characteristic of diabetes mellitus. Drug-induced hyperglycemia can occur in individuals with previously normal blood glucose levels and can exacerbate hyperglycemia in people with diabetes. Learn about the drugs that can raise blood glucose levels.
Drugs That Increase the Risk of Falls
Learn about medications that increase the risk of falls, such as certain antidepressants, benzodiazepines and Z-drugs, antipsychotics, antihistamines, anti-seizure drugs, cardiovascular drugs, muscle relaxants and opioids.
Drugs and Drug Combinations Associated With Cognitive Decline in Older Adults
Some prescription and over-the-counter medications are associated with symptoms of cognitive impairment in older adults, such as confusion, memory loss, problems paying attention or difficulty thinking. Drugs to be aware of include anticholinergic drugs, benzodiazepines and Z-drugs, proton pump inhibitors, and certain combinations of drugs.
Drugs That Can Impair Your Ability To Drive Safely
Learn about drugs that can impair your ability to drive safely, such as narcotic pain medications, benzodiazepines and Z-drugs, and certain antihistamines. Other examples of drugs that can interfere with safe driving are antipsychotic, antiseizure and muscle relaxant medications.
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