A New Prescription Can Change Your Balance
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A new medicine can sometimes make you feel different before you realise the medicine itself might be responsible. Perhaps you feel slightly unsteady getting out of a chair, more tired in the afternoon, or a little dizzy when walking around the house. These changes can be easy to put down to age, a poor night’s sleep or simply having an off day.
But some medicines can affect balance, coordination, awareness, blood pressure, or alertness. Health New Zealand notes that certain medicines can increase the risk of falls, particularly in older people. Drowsiness, dizziness, nausea, and feeling unsteady are all worth mentioning to a healthcare professional.
This is particularly worth considering when the symptoms appear after starting a new prescription, changing a dose, or adding another medicine. Older adults can also be taking several prescriptions alongside over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, or supplements, which can increase the possibility of interactions and unwanted effects.
Pay attention to when the problem happens. Is it shortly after taking a particular tablet? Does the dizziness appear when you stand up? Are you suddenly more sleepy during the day? Keeping a simple note for a few days can give your doctor or pharmacist useful information.
Don’t stop a prescription medicine on your own, even if you suspect it is causing the problem. Some medicines need to be reduced gradually, and your doctor or pharmacist can decide whether the dose should change or whether another option would be more suitable.
It is also worth keeping an up-to-date list of everything you take, including medicines bought from a pharmacy or supermarket and supplements. Bring the list to appointments and update it whenever something is started, stopped, or changed.
A little dizziness might seem like a minor inconvenience, but an unexpected fall can have much bigger consequences. If you have become noticeably less steady since a medicine change, don’t simply adjust your routine around it. Bring it up with your doctor or pharmacist. Sometimes the simplest explanation is sitting in the medicine cabinet.
