Senior citizens should be cautious when taking different kinds of prescription drugs, since the wrong combination can be lethal and, sometimes, deadly.
A health advice column on Chron.com warned senior citizens about combining their multiple prescription drugs with over-the-counter medication.
"[Senior citizens] might not realize that pain relievers like aspirin or Aleve can cause mischief with prescribed medications," according to the column.
A recent study found approximately 81 percent of older adults took prescribed drugs, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association.
One reader wrote into the column about their 85-year-old mother who "has almost no energy and is quite depressed" who takes Aldactone, atenolol, Crestor, Diovan, hydrochlorothiazide, Lexapro, Miacalcin, Neurontin, Nexium, Nitro-Dur, Norvasc, Plavix, Rhinocort, Synthroid and tramadol, states Chron.com. She also takes Akeve fir arthritis pain and an aspirin twice a day as needed.
In response, the column said taking aspirin, Aleve and Plavix could increase the risk of hemorrhage, which is why the doctor prescribed the acid-suppressing drug Nexium.
"The trouble is, Nexium and similar medicines may undo the vascular benefits of Plavix," states the column.
Seniors may want to investigate medication guides to assure they are not taking a lethal combination of prescribed medication.
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