Eighty-three percent of older adults take prescription medications. Yet as the body ages, it processes drugs and alcohol differently, so the potential for problems grows. Dr. Dean Edell explains how elderly individuals become accidental addicts.

Most of us don't take into account that in seniors, the liver, kidneys and stomach all work slower, so drugs and alcohol are in the body longer. Also, with age, the water content in the body decreases, so drugs are more potent.

Carol Colleran, addiction specialist: "It sums up, less does more. It's a potential for disaster."

Colleran says medications safe for young adults can be toxic in people over 65, including some tranquilizers, antidepressants, blood thinners, and arthritis drugs.

Colleran: "Because it was originally prescribed to them by the doctor, they believe that it's okay, no matter how long they've been taking it."

But Colleran says there is good news.

Colleran: "Treatment works for older adults. It works well."

It worked for Mae.

Mae: "You talk about serenity. I believe I have it."

And she is thankful for every day that she does.

Colleran points out that retirement communities may also make the problem worse, since many of the social activities revolve around drinking. Some signs that your loved one may have a problem include losing interest in activities, letting their hygiene go, and unexplained bruises. If you suspect a problem, Colleran suggests you first speak with a doctor who is familiar with alcohol abuse in the elderly.

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ELDER ADDICTS: According to Hanley-Hazelden, a center for addiction treatment in West Palm Beach, Florida, and one of the first centers to specialize in adult addiction, alcohol and drug abuse affects more than 3 million older adults, one-third of these are individuals who experience late onset addiction. It's considered one of the fastest growing health problems in the United States. Symptoms such as lack of mobility, depression and tremors are often mistaken as part of the aging process.

ACCIDENTAL ADDICTION: Older women consume 60 percent of all prescription and over the counter medications. The number of prescriptions written for older adults averages 15 prescriptions per older person per year. Eighty-three percent of people over 65 use prescription medications. Carol Colleran, Director of Older Adult Services at Hanley-Hazelden, says there's something called "accidental addiction". As people age, their bodies process alcohol and drugs differently and the same consumption when they were younger can be dangerous in older age. As we age, the liver gets smaller and blood flow decreases. As a result, drugs metabolize slower and stay in the body longer. Normal adult doses can cause an overdose in an elderly individual. Many drugs are filtered out of the body by the kidneys, which also shrink with age. Drugs stay active in the body longer.

Also with age, the percentage of body fat increases and lean body mass decreases. Since medications such as tranquilizers are absorbed by fat cells, people with more body fat keep the drugs in their system longer. Finally, the volume of water in the body decreases with age. With reduced water weight, drugs become more potent. For all of these reasons, common medications that are same in people under 65 become toxic in people over 65. Some of these medications include:


Tranquilizers including Valium, Librium, Librax, Deprol, Nebutal and Seconal
Antidepressants including Elavil, Endep, Etrafon, Limbitrol and Triavil
Arthritis drugs including Indocin and Butazolidin
Pain relievers including Darvocet, and Talwin
Blood thinners including Persantine
Muscle relaxants including Flexeril, Norgesic, Robaxin and Soma
For the reasons mentioned above, alcohol also affects the bodies of older individuals more severely so the same amount of alcohol that did not have an effect when a person was younger, can be dangerous in older age.