Are You Taking Drugs You Don’t Need?
In your medicine cabinet you may have a mix of prescription drugs and over-the-counter drugs to treat various conditions. Some of these medications are truly necessary, as people tend to have more health problems with age. But the more medicines you take, the greater your risk of suffering adverse reactions from the drugs. List of Inappropriate Drugs
| Drug Name | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Indomethacin (Indocin, Indocin SR) | Avoid |
| Pentazocine (Talwin) | Avoid |
| Trimethobenzamide (Tigan) | Avoid |
| Methocarbamol (Robaxin) | Avoid |
| Carisoprodol (Soma) | Avoid |
| Chlorzoxazone (Paraflex) | Avoid |
| Metaxalone (Skelaxin) | Avoid |
| Cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril) | Avoid |
| Oxybutynin (Ditropan) | Avoid unless there are no other alternatives |
| Brompheniramine | Avoid |
| Amitriptyline (Elavil) | Avoid |
| Chlordiazepoxide-amitriptyline (Limbitrol) | Avoid |
| Perphenazine-amitriptyline (Triavil) | Avoid |
| Doxepin (Sinequan) | Avoid |
| Meprobarnate (Miltown, Equanil) | Avoid |
| Lorazepam (>3 mg) (Ativan) | Avoid for treatment of insomnia, agitation, or delirium |
| Oxazepam (>60 mg) (Serax) | Avoid for treatment of insomnia, agitation, or delirium |
| Alprazolam (> 2 mg) (Xanax) | Avoid for treatment of insomnia, agitation, or delirium |
| Temazepam (>15 mg) (Restoril) | Avoid for treatment of insomnia, agitation, or delirium |
| Triazolam (>0.25 mg) (Halcion) | Avoid for treatment of insomnia, agitation, or delirium |
| Chlordiazepoxide (Librium) | Avoid for treatment of insomnia, agitation, or delirium |
| Chlordiazepoxide-arnitriptyline (Limbitrol) | Avoid for treatment of insomnia, agitation, or delirium |
| Clidinium-chlordiazepoxide (Librax) | Avoid for treatment of insomnia, agitation, or delirium |
| Diazepam (Valium) | Avoid for treatment of insomnia, agitation, or delirium |
| Quazepam (Doral) | Avoid for treatment of insomnia, agitation, or delirium |
| Doxylamine | Avoid |
| Chlorazepate (Tranxene) | Avoid for treatment of insomnia, agitation, or delirium |
| Disopyramide (Norpace, Norpace CR) | Avoid |
| Digoxin ( >0.125 mg/d, except if treating atrial arrhythmia) (Lanoxin) | Avoid |
| Short-acting dipyridamole (Persantine) | Avoid |
| Methyldopa (Aldomet) | Avoid |
| Scopolamine | Avoid |
| Reserpine (>0.25 mg) | Avoid |
| Chlorpropamide (Diabinese) | Avoid |
| Dicyclomine (Bentyl) | Avoid |
| Hyoscyamine (Levsin, Levsinex) | Avoid except in short time palliative care |
| Propantheline (Pro-Banthine) | Avoid unless no other alternatives |
| Belladonna alkaloids (Donnatal and others) | Avoid except in short time palliative care |
| Clidinium-chlordiazepoxide (Librax) | Avoid except in short time palliative care |
| Chlorpheniramine (Chlor-Trimeton) | Avoid unless no other alternatives |
| Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) | Avoid unless no other alternatives |
| Hydroxyzine (Vistaril, Atarax) | Avoid unless no other alternatives |
| Cyproheptadine (Periactin) | Avoid unless no other alternatives |
| Promethazine (Phenergan) | Avoid unless no other alternatives |
| Prazosin | Avoid |
| Dexchlorpheniramine (Polaramine) | Avoid |
| Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) | Avoid |
| Ergot mesyloids (Hydergine) | Avoid |
| Terazosin | Avoid |
| Ibutilide | Avoid as first-line treatment of atrial fibrillation |
| All barbituates (except phenobarbital) except to control seizures | Avoid |
| Meperidine (Demerol) | Avoid |
| Ticlopidine (Ticlid) | Avoid |
| Ketorolac (Toradol) | Avoid |
| Amphetamines and anorexic agents | Avoid |
| Naproxen (long-term use of full dosage) (Naprosyn, Avaprox, Aleve) | Avoid chronic use unless alternatives are not effective |
| Oxaprozin (long-term use of full dosage) (Daypro) | Avoid chronic use unless alternatives are not effective |
| Piroxicam (long-term use of full dosage) (Feldene) | Avoid chronic use unless alternatives are not effective |
| Sotalol | Avoid as first-line treatment of atrial fibrillation |
| Imipramine | Avoid |
| Trimipramine | Avoid |
| Butalbital | Avoid |
| Amiodarone (Cordarone) | Avoid as first-line treatment of atrial fibrillation |
| Orphenadrine (Norflex) | Avoid |
| Meprobamate | Avoid |
| Zolpidem | Avoid |
| Isoxsuprine | Avoid |
| Isoxsurpine (Vasodilan) | Avoid |
| Nitrofurantoin (Macrodantin) | Avoid long-term use |
| Doxazosin (Cardura) | Avoid use as an antihypertensive |
| Methyltestosterone (Android, Virilon, Testrad) | Avoid unless indicated for severe hypogonadism |
| Thioridazine (Mellaril) | Avoid |
| Mesoridazine (Serentil) | Avoid |
| Short-acting nifedipine (Procardia, Adalat) | Avoid |
| Clonidine (Catapres) | Avoid |
| Mineral oil | Avoid |
| Cimetidine (Tagamet) | Avoid |
| Testosterone | Avoid unless indicated for severe hypogonadism |
| Desiccated thyroid | Avoid |
| Amphetamines (excluding methylphenidate hydrochloride and anorexics) | Avoid |
| Estrogens with or without progestins (oral) | Avoid |
Reducing Your Risks for Problems with Drug Use
- Make a list of all your medicines. Update the list anytime your doctor prescribes a new medicine.
- Read and save all the written information that comes with your medicines.
- Take medicines exactly as your doctor prescribes.
- Do not skip doses or take half doses to save money. If you need help paying for your medicines, talk to your doctor.
- Use a memory aid (such as a calendar, chart, or weekly pill box) to remember to take your medicines on time.
- Avoid mixing alcohol and medicines.
- Take all of the medicine your doctor prescribes unless the doctor says it is okay to stop.
- Do not take medicines prescribed to another person or share your medicines.
- Check the expiration dates on your medicines. Dispose of expired medicines properly.
- Store all medicines safely out of reach of young children.
Talk to Your Doctor
RESOURCES
FirstGov.gov for Seniors http://www.seniors.gov/
National Council on the Aging http://www.ncoa.org/
United States Administration on Aging http://www.aoa.gov/
CANADIAN RESOURCES
Public Health Agency of Canada http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/
Seniors Health Canada http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/seniors-aines/index-eng.php/
References
American Geriatrics Society updated Beers Criteria for potentially inappropriate medication use in older patients. American Geriatrics Society website. Available at: http://www.americangeriatrics.org/files/documents/beers/2012BeersCriteria%5FJAGS.pdf. Published 2012. Accessed September 24, 2012.
Medicines: use them safely. National Institutes of Health National Institute on Aging website. Available at: http://www.nia.nih.gov/health/publication/medicines-use-them-safely. Updated July 2011. Accessed September 24, 2012.
11/30/2010 DynaMed's Systematic Literature Surveillance DynaMed's Systematic Literature Surveillance: US Food and Drug Administration. Propoxyphene: withdrawal—risk of cardiac toxicity. US Food and Drug Administration website. Available at: http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/SafetyInformation/SafetyAlertsforHumanMedicalProducts/ucm234389.htm. Published November 19, 2010. Accessed November 30, 2010.