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Article: Medications and older adults. (includes related articles on proper use of medications and cost reduction)
- Article from:
- FDA Consumer
- Article date:
- September 1, 1997
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1997 U.S. Government Printing Office. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Mary Parker of Oak Ridge, Tenn., is quick to joke about her health problems. Her vibrant smile and upbeat attitude belie her 78 years. But last year she had a health problem she didn't find amusing. The medication she took for her swollen sinuses left her so weak and dizzy she couldn't get out of bed.
"I felt like I wanted to die," she remembers. "It was awful."
She learned an important lesson from the episode. She thinks twice before taking any medication, questions her doctors and pharmacists, and reviews all her medications regularly with her primary physician.
Parker's attitude is a good one for older adults to have, experts say. As ...