Caring for elderly parents with many medicines (Polypharmacy)
Written by Dr. Vishnu Anjan Nareddy, MD (General Medicine)Professor of Medicine-Senior consultant physician (MD, General Medicine) · 5 min readWhen an older adult takes 5 or more prescription medicines simultaneously from different doctors, the risk of drug interactions, dizziness, kidney strain, and dangerous falls escalates rapidly. A comprehensive geriatric medication review simplifies treatment into a safe schedule.
The hidden dangers of multiple medications
As kidneys and liver age, they process and clear medicines much more slowly. Taking multiple tablets can cause drugs to accumulate, causing drowsiness, confusion, postural dizziness, or stomach bleeding.
Signs your parent may have medication side effects
- Feeling lightheaded or swaying when standing up from a chair or bed
- Sudden confusion, forgetfulness, or unusual drowsiness (often mistaken for dementia)
- Loss of appetite, nausea, or metallic taste
- Unsteadiness and frequent near-falls at home
What is 'Deprescribing'?
Deprescribing is the careful, doctor-supervised process of stopping unnecessary medications, eliminating duplicate drugs, and reducing dosages to safe kidney-calibrated levels.
Practical tips for caregivers
Use a 7-day compartmentalized pill organizer (morning, afternoon, night). Keep a single master written list of all current tablets on your phone, and bring all medicine strips to every doctor visit.
Comprehensive geriatric review by Senior Physician Dr. Vishnu Anjan Nareddy in Tirupati.
Book an elder reviewThis guide is general information and not a diagnosis. Reviewed by Dr. Vishnu Anjan Nareddy · October 2026 · How we write and review guides