A high-risk medicine is one that may cause serious health problems if not taken the right way, or taken with another drug or food item that it may interact with. Some examples include:
Taking multiple medicines together may affect how they work and may even be dangerous.
As you age, your body begins to handle medicine differently than it used to. If you are age 65 or older, you should take special care when taking your medicine, even though you may feel perfectly healthy. Some changes people experience when they age include:
In some cases, it may take your kidneys and liver more time to process medicines, and some medicines may stay in your body longer. This may cause your medicine to be stronger or weaker than it has been in the past, and you may be more likely to experience side effects. You may also experience side effects from taking multiple medications that may interact together in a way that is harmful to your body. You can work to make sure that the medicines you are taking are safe by learning more about high-risk medicines and talking to your doctor about your treatment and the medicines you take.
If your doctor has prescribed you a high-risk medicine, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take it; it just means that you should take care when using it and discuss any concerns with your doctor. Some things to remember:
It’s always important to talk to your doctor first regarding any high-risk medicines you might be taking. Simple cold medicines or even herbs may interact poorly with high-risk medicines. Some questions you may want to ask your doctor include:
Drug safety
Managing multiple medicationsDrug safety
Drug interactionsDrug safety
Food and drug interactions
