Popular over-the-counter drugs that can cause side effects in older adults -- often listed on the label as dry mouth, blurred vision, and confused thinking -- include antihistamines used to treat allergies, colds, and coughs. There are literally dozens of these products lining drugstore shelves; check the ingredient list for brompheniramine, chlorpheniramine, and diphenhydramine, all of which have these side effects. Doctors sometimes recommend that people take diphenhydramine (better known by its trade name, Benadryl) to help them fall asleep. In fact, diphenhydramine is also the main ingredient in many over-the-counter sleep aids, such as Compoz, Sominex, and Unisom, as well as Tylenol PM.
Among prescription drugs, the prime culprits include certain ones used to treat depression, such as amitriptyline (Elavil) and nortriptyline (Aventyl, Pamelor); overactive bladder, such as oxybutynin (Ditropan, Urotrol, and other brands); and heartburn, such as cimetidine (Tagamet) and ranitidine (Zantac).
Popular over-the-counter drugs that can cause side effects in older
adults -- often listed on the label as dry mouth, blurred vision,
and confused thinking -- include antihistamines used to treat
allergies, colds, and coughs. There are literally...
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Dr. Anne Fabiny answered:Popular over-the-counter drugs that can cause side effects in older adults -- often listed on the label as dry mouth, blurred vision, and confused thinking -- include antihistamines used to treat allergies, colds, and coughs. There are literally dozens of these products lining drugstore shelves; check the ingredient list for brompheniramine, chlorpheniramine, and diphenhydramine, all of which have these side effects. Doctors sometimes recommend that people take diphenhydramine (better known by its trade name, Benadryl) to help them fall asleep. In fact, diphenhydramine is also the main ingredient in many over-the-counter sleep aids, such as Compoz, Sominex, and Unisom, as well as Tylenol PM.
