Drug half-life and the Elderly

[Guest guest]

I haven't seen this brought up in any of the discussion forums lately so I

thought I'd post it.

Drug half-life can have serious reprecussions when it comes to trying to figure

out whether to eliminate a drug or manage the dosage of a drug in the elderly.

particularly in those who are unable to communicate effectively. Drug retention

primarily in body fat, even those bags under the eyes, can leave you guessing.

I thought I had eliminated every drug that could be causing a problem for

but he was still acting out. Then one day I saw him inhaling Neosynephrine. This

drug is dangerous because it's inhaled through the nose and crosses the

blood/brain barrier quickly. It is also retained in that fatty tissue under the

eyes. It did take a few weeks for him to shake it off completely.

Anyway, there's a good article here (there are others if you search for them):

http://www.aafp.org/afp/2002/1115/p1917.html

And here's a quote from the article:

" For older adults, complete elimination of a drug from body tissues, including

the brain, can take weeks because of a combination of pharmacokinetic and

pharmacodynamic effects. "

I hope this helps when you consider drugs and their possible prolonged side

effects.