London - Popular over-the-counter drugs for hayfever and insomnia may increase the risk of a serious fall among older men, scientists warn.
Research shows a group of common medications, including treatments like Piriton and Nytol, appear to make certain people more likely to tumble and injure themselves.
Men over 65 were twice as likely to have been hurt like this if they took one of a powerful class of drugs called anticholinergics, says a study of 2,700 pensioners.
The medicines under scrutiny affect the brain by blocking a key chemical messenger called acetylcholine. This moderates many brain functions including moods, behaviour and response to pain.
Up to half of elderly Britons are prescribed at least one medication with anticholinergic properties, including anti-depressants, antihistamines, sleeping pills and antipsychotics.
There were more than 28 million prescriptions for the most-powerful – those which researchers found had a significant impact on falls – in England last year, according to the Health and Social Care Information Centre.
But many more are freely available over the counter without needing a prescription.
They include diphenhydramine, the active ingredient in Nytol sleeping tablets, and chlorphenamine, used in Piriton tablets to help with allergies like hayfever.
These active ingredients are also found in other treatments available by prescription or over the counter. The drugs may trigger side-effects, including dizziness, sedation and confusion.
The researchers led by the University of East Anglia found in a two-year study of Irish pensioners that men over 65 were twice as likely to be injured in a fall if they took one of the more powerful anticholinergics.
The same effect was not seen among women but the researchers cannot be sure why.
Lead researcher Dr Kathryn Richardson said the findings show the importance of regularly reviewing medication taken by older patients. ‘A fall can have a devastating impact and is a major contributor to care home admission and hospitalisation so it is vital to find ways to reduce the risk,’ she added.
Dr Richardson, whose study is published today in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, stressed that patients should not stop taking any medication without their GP’s advice.
Fellow author Professor Rose Anne Kenny, of Trinity College Dublin, said: ‘Falls are one of the leading causes of loss of independence as people get older. If early risk factors are identified and modified, falls can be prevented. This paper highlights important new risk factors.’
A previous study suggested that people who regularly took the drugs in high doses for three years or more had an increased risk of dementia.
Neal Patel, for the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, said: ‘Reviewing your medicines after a fall is important.’ He added that community pharmacists can offer reviews to anyone concerned about this research.
A spokesman for Nytol said: ‘Over-the-counter sleeping aids like Nytol help with temporary difficulties when taken in accordance with the directions.
‘The product is not intended for long-term use and caution is advised when used by older patients due to the increased risk of adverse effects. Care should always be taken when using any over-the-counter medicine.’
Daily Mail