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Have you ever read a prescription label that said, “Do not operate heavy machinery while taking this drug” or “might cause severe drowsiness”? When you see warnings like that, you know to be extra cautious when taking those drugs. For some, the drowsiness that’s been warned by that label never materializes; for others, the drowsiness is bad enough to send them right back to bed.
When we experience that kind of side effect, accidents and falls are more likely. It’s one of the good reasons why seniors might choose an emergency button alarm to stay safe. It’s also a good reason we might choose not to get behind the wheel of a car or operate any other heavy machinery while taking that medication.
While you might very logically say that sedatives of any kind are a problem for driver safety, there are other medications that seniors might overlook and think are perfectly okay, when in fact they are making people too tired to drive safely.
Medication Interactions Can Be a Problem
There’s no doubt that certain medications that make you sleepy will be problematic when it’s time to drive. But the elderly need to be cautious even of medications that don’t carry a warning label. That’s because you never know how your body will react.
There is also the added problem of polypharmacy, which is a fancy word for those who are on multiple medications at once to treat a variety of conditions. According to drugmaker Merck, almost 80% of all elderly adults take at least two prescription drugs regularly, and more than one in three seniors takes at least five prescription drugs.1 That heightens the risk of drug interactions.
Some drug interactions can be serious, such as two drugs that wouldn’t bother you with side effects at all if you were taking just one of them – but put them together and suddenly you are feeling strange symptoms, including dizziness, drowsiness, and even weakness. These interactions can cause concern, especially if you are behind the wheel.
If you are on any medications at all, it’s a good idea to have a medical alert pendant on you at all times. Even one medication can lead to side effects that can make you a greater fall risk. When you take more than one, that risk goes up. A medical alert can ensure that if anything happens at any time of the day or night, you can get the help you need right away.
Medications to Look Out For
A research project in JAMA Network Open studied 198 senior adults with an average age of 73 when the study began. The goal was to look at medications the participants took over the span of 10 years and during that time, give them annual driving tests to assess their skills and how the medications might affect their ability to drive.2
The study found that those who were on antidepressants or sleep medications were nearly three times more likely to fail the test or have a “marginal” score compared to those who were not on these medications. In fact, 16-17% of those on antidepressants or sleep aids showed a poor performance on the road. These findings aren’t surprising because these classes of drugs are known for drowsiness as a potential side effect.
But what might be surprising is that those who take NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) were just as likely to drive poorly as those who took sedatives and antidepressants.
These drugs are a very common treatment for aches and pains among those of all ages, but especially among the elderly. In most cases, NSAIDs don’t come with a warning that suggests the medication might make you drowsy or otherwise impair your ability to drive.
The study controlled for many factors, including memory and thinking abilities, vision problems, where an individual lived, and medical conditions that might inhibit reaction time or lead to impaired driving. Even after controlling for those factors, the same medications were linked to poorer driving.
The researchers were surprised to find that some of the medications they expected to affect driving didn’t seem to bother the participants at all. Antihistamines, which are used to reduce the inflammatory response in the body, are quite well-known for invoking drowsiness. Anticholinergic medications, such as those used for overactive bladder and treatment of Parkinson’s symptoms, are also known for a sedating effect.
But those medications didn’t seem to affect the drivers at all during the course of the study. The researchers hypothesized that newer, non-drowsy antihistamines could explain the finding. When it comes to anticholinergic medications, it’s possible that not enough people in the study were taking those drugs to make a difference in the overall driving performance of the group.
However, it’s very important to still consider antihistamines and anticholinergic medications as a potential danger when getting behind the wheel, so plan accordingly.
Medication Side Effects & Staying Safe
According to insurance giant AAA, seniors are more likely to wear their seatbelts, observe speed limits, and avoid drinking and driving. But they are also more likely to die or be severely injured in a car crash due to the increased physical changes that come with age.3
That’s another reason why it’s so important to be aware of the medications you are taking and how they affect you.
When you begin taking a new medication, even one that is purchased over the counter, take the time to read all the labels on that medication. Look for anything that suggests side effects, such as drowsiness, dizziness, or agitation. When you take the medication, pay close attention to how you feel.
Talk to your doctor about the medications you are taking and how they might interact with over-the-counter drugs. An antidepressant combined with an antihistamine is a good example. While some might feel a bit drowsy when taking one or the other, if you take both at the same time, you might experience marked drowsiness and an inability to handle driving or other things that require gross motor skills.
Most of the time, visits with your doctor are limited to a short time frame. Make the most of that time by presenting your doctor with a list of medications you are on, both prescription and over-the-counter, and ask them to review the list. They will be able to see at a glance if one drug might interact with another. You can also consult your pharmacist.
If you have specific complaints about how a particular drug makes you feel, bring that up too. Your quality of life can be greatly improved by getting on a different medication that doesn’t have as many side effects.
But never just stop taking a medication on your own. That can lead to much more serious problems. Always speak to your doctor before stopping any medication.
Safety Tips for Driving
Taking certain medications doesn’t mean you can’t drive, unless you are instructed not to do so. But it does mean that you need to be much more careful and aware of how your body reacts to medication. Here are some safety tips for driving that all seniors should take to heart.
· Opt for non-drowsy versions. Sometimes there is the option of choosing the “regular” medication or one that has different ingredients to make drowsiness less likely. Antihistamines lead the pack of medications that offer the original version and the newer, non-drowsy version. Always go with the non-drowsy version if you can.
· Never drive while feeling impaired. If you feel impaired at all, for any reason at all, never get behind the wheel. The dangers to you and to others are immense. Call a friend, family member, rideshare, or wait another day to get to where you need to go.
· Only drive when feeling fresh and alert. You’re not feeling impaired by medication side effects? Great! How did you sleep last night? If you didn’t sleep much at all and you’re feeling groggy in the morning, it’s not a good idea to drive. Try to get more sleep or engage in some light exercise to help wake you up if you can’t go back to bed.
· Ask for the advice of others. Sometimes you might not think a certain side effect is a big deal because you don’t realize how strongly it affects you. But others in your life might notice. When you are taking a new medication, ask those around you to be alert for any changes they might see in you. If they say that they are concerned about you driving while on that medication, pay attention to what they have to say and let them help you plan for other driving options.
Whether you feel perfectly fine or you have serious concerns about medications you’re on, an in-home or on-the-go personal, emergency alert system for elderly adults can help ensure that you stay as safe as you can.
A fall detection alarm can provide even more protection, as it can automatically alert an emergency monitoring center on your behalf the moment it detects a fall has occurred. Getting help fast can mean a much better medical outcome for seniors and elderly adults. Let Alert1 help you stay safe no matter where you roam.
