Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have created a list of prescription drugs that increase the risk of falling for patients aged 65 and older….. By Bob DeMarco Alzheimer’s Reading Room “Falls are the leading cause of both fatal and non-fatal injuries for adults 65 and older, and research suggests that those taking four or more medications are at an even greater risk than those who don’t – perhaps two to three times greater,” said Susan Blalock, Ph.D., an associate professor at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. In 2007, more than 21,700 Americans died as a result of falls and more than 7.9 million were injured by a fall including over 1.8 million older adults who had a fall-related injury that resulted in an emergency room visit. Falls are the leading cause of injury-related deaths among older adults 73 and older and the second leading cause of death from ages 60-72. If you see medications that you or your loved one are taking on the list below, you should consult with your physician before making any changes. It is also a good idea to talk to your pharmacist when you are picking up medications. I usually ask the pharmacist about the feedback they are getting whenever a new drug is prescribed. Prescription Medications that Increase the Risks of Patient Falls Alprazolam (Xanax) Amitriptyline (Elavil) Amobarbital (Amytal) Generic Name (Brand Name) Amoxapine (Asendin) Aripiprazole (Abilify) Baclofen (Lioresal) Bupropion (Wellbutrin, Wellbutrin SR) Buspirone (Buspar) Butabarbital Carbamazepine (Tegretol, Tegretol XR, Carbatrol) Chloral hydrate Chlorazepate (Tranxene) Chlordiazepoxide (Librium, Limbitrol, Librax) Chlorpromazine (Thorazine) Citalopram (Celexa) Clidinium-chlordiazepoxide (Librax) Clomipramine (Anafranil) Clonazepam (Klonopin) Clozapine (Clozaril) Codeine (Tylenol with Codeine) Desipramine (Norpramin) Diazepam (Valium) Digoxin (Lanoxin) Disopyramide (Norpace) Divalproex sodium (Depakote, Depakote ER) Doxepin (Sinequan, Zonalon, Prudoxin) Duloxetine (Cymbalta) Escitalopram (Lexapro) Estazolam (Prosom) Olanzapine (Zyprexa, Zyprexa Zydis) Oxazepam (Serax) Oxcarbazepine (Trileptal) Oxycodone (Percocet) Oxymorphone (Numorphan) Paraldehyde (Paral) Paroxetine (Paxil) Pentobarbital (Nembutal) Perphenazine (Trilafon) Phenelzine (Nardil) Phenobarbital Phenytoin (Dilantin) Pimozide (Orap) Pregabalin (Lyrica) Primidone (Mysoline) Propoxyphene (Darvon, Darvocet) Protriptyline (Vivactil) Quazepam (Doral) Ethosuximide (Zarontin)