About the Article
The Invisible Danger of Multiple Medication Use
Every drug has a different breakdown and excretion process in the liver and kidneys. Taking 5-6 different medications at the same time can cause one drug to neutralize the effect of another (rendering the treatment useless) or increase the side effect of another to a toxic level. Especially in the elderly, it exponentially increases the risks of dizziness, blood pressure drops, falling, and breaking bones.
It is the situation where a side effect caused by one medication is mistaken for a "new disease symptom" by the doctor, who then adds a brand new medication to the list to suppress that side effect. This vicious cycle results in the patient taking a handful of pills.
Patients must definitely go to the doctor with a "Medication Bag" (including all the herbal supplements and painkillers they use). Even if a cardiologist, neurologist, or internal medicine specialist prescribes medications separately, the entire prescription must be reviewed by a Family Physician or Geriatrics specialist, and unnecessary medications must be weeded out of the system.
The information on this page is for general health advice. Please consult specialized physicians for personalized treatment or advice.
