Health experts have issued an urgent warning about the risks of mixing certain medications, after research revealed that half of Britons are unaware of potentially dangerous side effects. The study by TakingCare found that 50 per cent of people are in the dark about the effects of combining common drugs for high blood pressure, heart conditions and diabetes, which can be life-threatening.
The average 70-year-old in the UK takes around eight pills a day, putting the elderly at heightened risk. Lauren Frake, Elderly Care Expert at TakingCare, and Peter Thnoia, prescribing pharmacist and chief product and innovation officer at PillTime, have highlighted dangerous combinations. Furosemide or indapamide (for heart conditions) taken with metformin (for type 2 diabetes) can cause severe dehydration and low blood pressure, increasing fall risk. Around 30 per cent of PillTime patients take such tablets.
More than 40 per cent of elderly falls recorded by TakingCare involve people on heart medication, likely due to side effects like dizziness. Dehydration can also lead to lactic acidosis with metformin, causing exhaustion, weakness and cramps. Antihistamines (hay fever medication) combined with sedatives or benzodiazepines such as temazepam or diazepam can cause dangerous drowsiness, raising fall risk. Oral decongestants like pseudoephedrine taken with antidepressants (SSRIs) may lead to irritability, delayed reactions and confusion.
Patients are advised to consult their GP or pharmacist before combining medications, and to be cautious when driving if taking sedative drugs.
