FAQs: Can Dementia Medicines Raise the Risk of Falling?
Answers
In a way, yes. The drugs that are FDA-approved for the treatment of dementia (donepezil, galantamine, rivastigmine, and memantine) are not thought to significantly increase the chance of a fall. However, dizziness has been reported as a side effect of these medications in a minority (about 8 percent) of users. This could possibly raise the risk of falls for those people.
Much more likely to cause falls in people with dementia are drugs that are often used even though they're not specifically FDA-approved for dementia. These include:
Sedatives and tranquilizers, such as lorazepam (often prescribed for anxiety) and zolpidem (often prescribed for insomnia). Over-the-counter sleeping medications, such as the PM version of commonly used painkillers, are also linked with falls.
Antipsychotics, such as haloperidol, risperidone, and olanzapine. These are often prescribed (and probably overprescribed) to help control paranoia and delusions in people with dementia.
Antidepressants. This is especially true of the older generation of tricyclic medications (such as amitriptyline). However, studies have found that the newer generation of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs, such as fluoxetine and paroxetine) also increase fall risk.
In short, most medications prescribed for common dementia challenges, such as insomnia, agitation, depression, and paranoia, will unfortunately increase the risk of falls.
Because of this, you should ask the doctor for a careful medication review to reduce your loved one's falling risk. It's probably a good idea to specify that you'd like the doctor to point out just which medications might be increasing your loved one's chance of falling. Once those medications have been identified, you can discuss whether the medication is absolutely necessary or whether a lower dose or an alternative might be feasible.
