1377 The Dangers of Drugging the Elderly
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Dynamic Chiropractic – December 29, 1997, Vol. 15, Issue 26

The Dangers of Drugging the Elderly

By Editorial Staff
According to a survey conducted for the National Council on Aging, 18% of Americans over age 60 (7.5 million people) take medication for chronic pain. Of those 7.5 million seniors, 26% (1.95 million) experience side effects, half of which are severe:

Side Effects Percent of Seniors Affected
Drowsiness 20%
Dizziness 18%
Gastrointestinal Disorders 17%
Nausea/Vomiting/Diarrhea 13%
Constipation 12%
Hospitalization 10%

Forty-one percent of the seniors who suffer from these side effects (800,000) take another drug to "manage" the side effects.

Of greater concern is that 58% of the seniors who take pain medication also take other drugs for other ailments. And yet 48% of the seniors say that their doctors don't tell them about the possible harmful interaction between pain drugs and other medications they take.

----------------- SOURCE: The Study of Pain and Older Americans. Louis Harris and Associates survey, 1997.

Dynamic Chiropractic editorial staff members research, investigate and write articles for the publication on an ongoing basis. To contact the Editorial Department or submit an article of your own for consideration, email .

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