By Annette Pinder 

Adapted from reporting by physician and journalist Leana S. Wen and research published in JAMA Internal Medicine 

A recent study raises concerns about medications commonly prescribed to older adults. Researchers reviewed more than 16 million emergency department visits from 2023 to 2025 and found that about 1 in 15 older patients received prescriptions for medications considered potentially unsafe for older adults.  

Experts say aging changes how the body processes medications. Drugs well tolerated by younger adults can cause serious side effects in seniors, including confusion, dizziness, drowsiness, falls, breathing problems, and dangerous drug interactions. Risks are even greater for older adults taking multiple medications for chronic conditions because medications may interact unpredictably or remain in the body longer as metabolism slows with age.  

The study highlighted three commonly prescribed medications that experts say older adults should generally avoid when possible. Two are muscle relaxants — methocarbamol (Robaxin) and cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril) — often prescribed for back or joint pain. The third is meclizine (Antivert or Dramamine), used to treat dizziness or vertigo. All three can impair balance and cognition, increasing the risk of falls, fractures, hospitalization, and even death. 

The concerns stem from the American Geriatrics Society’s “Beers Criteria,” which identify medications that may pose more risks than benefits for older adults. Instead of sedating muscle relaxants, experts recommend safer approaches, such as heat, ice, massage, acetaminophen, topical anti-inflammatory gels, or lidocaine patches. For vertigo, treating the underlying cause may be safer than medications that cause drowsiness.  

Researchers also say electronic medical records could help reduce unsafe prescribing by alerting clinicians to potentially risky medications and suggesting safer alternatives. Patients and caregivers should ask their provider about side effects whenever a new medication is prescribed.