After a fall, look at the medicine list before attributing it to age. Sedatives, opioids, anticonvulsants, antihypertensives and diuretics can all contribute, and stopping or reducing one is often easier than treating the consequences.
- List every drug, including over-the-counter and traditional preparations.
- Check lying and standing blood pressure.
- Ask what changed in the weeks before the fall.
- Reduce or stop one drug at a time, and review the response.
Why it matters
Drug causes of falls are among the few that can be removed.
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