Doctors Are Quietly Phasing Out These 6 Medications For Seniors-But Millions Still Take Them Daily

(MENAFN- Saving Advice) Open an older adult's medicine cabinet, and you may find prescriptions accumulated over years, over-the-counter sleep or allergy products, pain relievers, and medications prescribed by several different doctors. Most may be entirely appropriate, but aging can change how the body responds to certain drugs, and some medications deserve another look after 65.

That's the purpose of the American Geriatrics Society's Beers Criteria, a widely used clinical resource identifying medications that may pose greater risks for older adults. The list isn't a collection of drugs that every senior must stop taking, and the AGS emphasizes that individual circumstances matter.

The issue has become even more important as older adults take increasingly complicated combinations of prescriptions, OTC medications, and supplements. A September 2026 study published in JAMA notes that approximately 63,000 serious adverse events attributed to drug-drug interactions were reported to the FDA among adults 65 and older between 2015 and 2025, and about 10% were fatal.

If you're over 65 and regularly use one of these six types of medication, don't throw the bottle away. Instead, put it on the list for your next medication review and ask whether the benefits still outweigh the risks for you.

1. Benzodiazepines for Anxiety or Sleep

Benzodiazepines include familiar medications such as alprazolam (Xanax), lorazepam (Ativan), and diazepam (Valium), and they're used for conditions ranging from anxiety to seizures and insomnia. The American Geriatrics Society's guidance recommends avoiding benzodiazepines in many older adults because they can increase the risk of cognitive impairment, delirium, falls, fractures, and motor-vehicle crashes. Older adults can also be more sensitive to these medications, while some long-acting versions may take longer for the body to eliminate. That doesn't mean benzodiazepines never have an appropriate use.

The Beers Criteria recognizes circumstances including seizure disorders, severe generalized anxiety disorder, benzodiazepine withdrawal, and certain medical procedures where they may be warranted. Don't abruptly stop a benzodiazepine you've been taking regularly, because withdrawal can be dangerous; ask your prescriber whether continued treatment, a gradual taper, or another approach is appropriate.

2. Strong Anticholinergic Medications

“Anticholinergic” isn't one particular pill; it's a characteristic shared by medications used for conditions ranging from allergies and insomnia to depression and bladder problems. One particularly familiar example is diphenhydramine, the active ingredient in Benadryl and some nighttime sleep products, which the AGS lists among first-generation antihistamines generally worth avoiding in older adults because of their strong anticholinergic effects.

These medications can contribute to confusion, dry mouth, constipation, urinary problems, and other side effects, while cumulative exposure to multiple anticholinergic drugs deserves particular attention. Because some of these products are available over the counter, a physician may not know you're taking them unless you specifically mention them. Bring OTC allergy pills, nighttime products, bladder medications, and sleep aids into your next medication review rather than assuming nonprescription means low-risk.

3.“Z-Drug” Prescription Sleep Aids

Zolpidem (Ambien), eszopiclone (Lunesta), and zaleplon (Sonata) are often called“Z-drugs,” and their risks deserve particular attention after 65. The AGS Beers Criteria recommends avoiding these medications in many older adults because they can produce adverse effects similar to benzodiazepines, including delirium, falls, fractures, emergency-room visits, hospitalizations, and motor-vehicle crashes.

The FDA has also warned about serious risks associated with prescription insomnia medicines, including rare but dangerous complex sleep behaviors involving activities performed while not fully awake. For an older adult who already has balance problems or gets up several times during the night, next-day sedation can add another potential hazard. Rather than stopping a prescription independently, ask whether the medication is still necessary and whether behavioral or other treatment approaches could address the underlying sleep problem.

4. Certain Skeletal Muscle Relaxants

Cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril), carisoprodol (Soma), methocarbamol (Robaxin), and several other skeletal muscle relaxants also appear on the list of medications the AGS recommends avoiding in many older adults. The concern isn't simply that they're“strong” medications; these drugs may be poorly tolerated because of sedation and anticholinergic effects and can increase fracture risk. The AGS also notes that effectiveness at doses tolerated by older adults can be questionable, making the risk-versus-benefit calculation particularly important. Someone taking a muscle relaxant for recurring back or neck pain should ask whether the drug is intended only for a short course and whether physical therapy or another targeted approach might address the underlying problem more appropriately. This recommendation doesn't apply identically to every medication used for muscle spasticity, so don't use the word“muscle relaxant” on the bottle as a reason to stop treatment without discussing the specific drug with your clinician.

5. Certain Older Diabetes Medications

The original article's statement that newer diabetes drugs are automatically safer would be too broad, because diabetes treatment needs to be individualized. What the Beers Criteria does specifically flag is the sulfonylurea class, including medications such as glyburide, glimepiride, and glipizide, because of concerns including hypoglycemia and cardiovascular events. If a sulfonylurea must be used, the AGS recommends a short-acting option such as glipizide rather than longer-acting drugs including glyburide or glimepiride because prolonged low blood sugar can be particularly dangerous.

Hypoglycemia in an older adult isn't merely an inconvenient low reading. It can contribute to weakness, confusion, falls, loss of consciousness, and a medical emergency. If you've taken the same diabetes medication for years, ask whether your kidney function, other medications, glucose targets, and overall health still make it the best option rather than assuming a prescription remains ideal indefinitely.

6. Regular Use of Certain NSAID Pain Relievers

Ibuprofen and naproxen are familiar enough to sit in millions of medicine cabinets, but over-the-counter availability doesn't mean regular use is harmless for every older adult. The AGS Beers Criteria recommends avoiding chronic use of nonselective oral NSAIDs in many older adults unless other alternatives aren't effective and the patient can take a medication that helps protect the stomach.

Risks include gastrointestinal bleeding and ulcers, increased blood pressure, and kidney injury, with gastrointestinal risk particularly concerning among adults older than 75 and people taking certain medications such as corticosteroids, anticoagulants, or antiplatelet drugs. The issue is especially easy to miss when someone buys ibuprofen or naproxen without a prescription and doesn't think to include it on their medication list. If you're taking an NSAID most days rather than occasionally, tell your physician or pharmacist exactly how much you take and how frequently.

Medication Problems Can Become Expensive Medical Problems

Medication safety has a direct financial connection for retirees because an adverse reaction can turn an inexpensive prescription or OTC purchase into an emergency-room visit, hospitalization, fall-related injury, or additional treatment. The CDC warns that prescription drugs, OTC medications, dietary supplements, and even some herbal products can cause side effects that increase an older adult's risk of falls or motor-vehicle crashes. The September 2026 JAMA research on polypharmacy underscores how complicated this has become, noting tens of thousands of serious drug-interaction reports among Americans 65 and older over the previous decade.

There's another financial risk at the opposite extreme: deciding a medication is too expensive and rationing it or stopping it without telling anyone can also lead to poorer health and larger bills later. A medication review should therefore include both safety and price. Ask whether every drug is still necessary, whether a lower-cost equivalent exists, and whether your Medicare drug plan covers the safest appropriate option favorably.

Medicare May Pay for a More Thorough Medication Review

People taking multiple prescriptions should also find out whether they qualify for Medicare's Medication Therapy Management, or MTM, program. Medicare says plans with drug coverage must offer MTM services to qualifying beneficiaries with complex health needs, and eligible participants receive the service at no cost.

A comprehensive medication review can examine what you're taking, why you're taking it, potential concerns, and questions that should be brought back to your physicians. Even if you don't qualify for formal MTM, bring one complete list containing prescriptions, OTC products, vitamins, supplements, sleep aids, and medications you use only occasionally to your doctor or pharmacist. The safest medication list isn't necessarily the shortest one; it's the one where every drug has a current purpose and its benefits still justify its risks and costs.

Don't Turn a Safety List Into a“Stop Taking” List

The most important thing to understand about the Beers Criteria is what it doesn't say. A medication appearing on the list doesn't automatically mean your physician made a mistake, that the drug is dangerous for you personally, or that you should stop taking it today. The American Geriatrics Society describes these as potentially inappropriate medications, and individual diagnoses, treatment history, alternatives, goals, and patient preferences can change the risk-benefit calculation. Stopping certain medications abruptly can itself be dangerous, particularly when the body has become accustomed to them. Instead, use the list to ask a better question at your next appointment:“I'm over 65, and I've been taking this for a while. Is it still the safest and most effective choice for me?”

Have you ever had a doctor or pharmacist recommend changing a medication because of your age, side effects, or interactions with another prescription? Share your experience in the comments.

MENAFN28092026008491017816ID1111729377