The Sentinel

Managing your pills as you age; navigating today's polypharmacy

Photo: Ri Butov/Pixabay

by Paul Arco
OSF Healthcare

ROCKFORD - As we get older, the chances increase for many of us to develop chronic disease. That also means the likelihood of taking daily medications for conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, insomnia, arthritis and high cholesterol.

In medical terms, it’s called polypharmacy.

“Polypharmacy is using or taking multiple medications,” says Jessica McCuen, manager of pharmacy operations at OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center in Rockford, Illinois. “Most healthcare professionals have agreed that the number is somewhere around five or more. Generally, we say anyone who's taking five or more medications is experiencing polypharmacy.”

It's estimated that about one-third of adults between the ages of 60 and 70 are exhibiting some form of polypharmacy.

Taking multiple prescription drugs can increase the risk of multi-drug interactions, in which one medication can affect another medication. Another potential concern is drug-disease interaction, where taking medication for one health issue can make another health problem worse.

It appears to be a bigger concern for older people. It's estimated that about one-third of adults between the ages of 60 and 70 are exhibiting some form of polypharmacy.

“Once we get to that age, we tend to have chronic diseases that have been diagnosed and we take more medications to handle those chronic diseases.”

McCuen adds we don’t often think about how our age can affect how medications work.

“That’s when your body starts to change,” she explains. “You can absorb medications differently; the way that your body works changes and then the way that you hold on to medications because of your body makeup changes too. The way that you may have absorbed or had a reaction to a medication in your 30s could be different in your 60s and 70s just because of the way that your body has changed.”

People who experience polypharmacy have a bigger risk of being tired and dizzy, which increases the risk for falls. Other symptoms are weakness, loss of appetite, gastrointestinal (GI) problems and skin rashes.

And it’s not just prescription medications pharmacists worry about. Over-the-counter medications and herbal supplements can negatively interact with daily prescription drugs.

It’s also possible to be on a medication longer than is needed. For example, some people take a proton pump inhibitor – medicines that work by reducing the amount of stomach acid – for problems like heartburn.

“They'll just continue to take it even though they probably only need to take it for a couple of weeks and then see how they do off of it,” McCuen says. “That’s one of the most common ones I see that they don't necessarily need to be on.”

That’s why it’s important to talk with your care team before starting any new medication. In fact, McCuen recommends doing a medication review with your physician or pharmacist at least once a year to make sure your medications mesh.

“Your pharmacist is really your drug and medication expert,” she says. “They know a lot about the drug interactions with all your medications.”

McCuen adds that it's also a good idea to use the same pharmacy whenever possible so that your pharmacist has a record of all the drugs that you're taking. That way if anything new is added they can intervene in the event you have an interaction with one of your other medications.

Commentary |
Stop the invasion of our nation

by Glenn Mollette, Guest Commentator

If President Biden could announce on November 1, 2024 that all student debt is forgiven, he would do so. That would surely be a way to get a few more votes. If you have a $100,000 student loan, then you have a heavy burden of paying back that loan. To suddenly have the debt cleared would be a marvelous feeling.

Would this make you feel like Biden is a great President? Would this boost your confidence in his ability to lead our nation? Or, would you see such an act as a last-ditch effort to do whatever it takes to stay in the oval office for four more years?

Thousands of Americans have carried the weight of student loans for years. Thousands have paid back the loans. Loans are never fun to pay back. Car payments, house payments, and credit card debt are tough to carry for years and years. Is it fair that many Americans have paid off student debt but suddenly thousands of Americans could have a large portion of their debt wiped away? It doesn’t seem fair. Is it good for America? Many more Americans need to borrow money for college. Paying back student loans is one way to keep money circulating back into the government coffers.

What if someone paid back 75% of their loan in ten years then the other 25% would be forgiven? What about a two or three percent interest rate on student loans? What if people went to community colleges their first two years? There has to be a better way than just waving the magic wand and clearing debt to boost popularity.

Interest rates are going to come down between now and November 1. A 30-year mortgage by November 1 will be closer to six percent. The stock market is roaring. If you have some money in stock then you have to be enjoying the increase. What goes up always comes down some, eventually. Don’t look for it to go down much between now and November first.

The one thing President Biden doesn’t seem to want to do is stop the invasion of America. The invasion of America continues. Allowing up to 8.5 thousand illegals per day is not a fix. Outlaw gangs have taken over parts of South America in Columbia and Venezuela and parts of central America. Gangs have taken over Haiti. The cartel seems to roam freely in Mexico. These outlaws are coming into America. Violence, stealing, and killing are all they know. They will fight with and kill police officers, assault and murder women, steal from you, and terrorize our communities. Most of our small American counties are understaffed to protect our citizens from gangs armed with semi-automatic weapons.

The invasion must be stopped today. Border states deserve all the help the federal government can give in securing the borders immediately instead of making it difficult on the states.

Soon there will be so many illegals from China and throughout the world in our country that we will not have enough police or military to protect ourselves. We see this happening before our very eyes.

The issues of student loans, interest rates, gasoline prices, inflation, and much more impact our lives significantly. Nothing is impacting our nation like the invasion.

Please Mr. President and Congress, stop the invasion of our nation.

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He is the author of 13 books including Uncommon Sense, the Spiritual Chocolate series, Grandpa's Store, Minister's Guidebook insights from a fellow minister. His column is published weekly in over 600 publications in all 50 states. The views expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily representative of any other group or organization. We welcome comments and views from our readers. Submit your letters to the editor or commentary on a current event 24/7 to editor@oursentinel.com.

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