Polypharmacy and Side Effects: How Taking Too Many Medications Raises Your Risk

Imagine taking 10 or more pills every day. Not just for a week - every single day. You wake up, sort through a dozen different bottles, try to remember which one is for your blood pressure, which one makes you dizzy, and which one you’re supposed to skip if you eat breakfast. You’re not alone. In Australia, nearly half of adults over 65 are taking five or more prescription drugs. And that number is climbing. This isn’t just about convenience - it’s about danger.

What Exactly Is Polypharmacy?

Polypharmacy isn’t a diagnosis. It’s a situation: when someone takes five or more medications regularly. That includes prescriptions, over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, and herbal supplements. It’s not always bad. Someone with heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure might need five meds to stay alive. That’s appropriate polypharmacy. But too often, it becomes inappropriate polypharmacy - where drugs are added without stopping others, or when side effects lead to more prescriptions just to fix the side effects.

This is called a medication cascade. For example, a patient gets a blood pressure pill that causes dizziness. The doctor then prescribes a balance medication. That makes them constipated, so they get a laxative. Now they’re on four drugs for one original problem. The original issue? Maybe it was just the wrong dose. Or maybe the first drug wasn’t even needed.

Why More Drugs = More Risks

Each new medication doesn’t just add benefit - it adds risk. The body doesn’t handle multiple drugs the same way as it does one. As we age, our liver and kidneys slow down. That means drugs stick around longer, build up, and can turn harmless doses into toxic ones.

Here’s what happens when you take five or more meds:

• You’re 1.5 to 2 times more likely to fall - and break a hip.
• One in three people over 65 taking multiple drugs report confusion or memory issues.
• 42% of those on seven or more medications have trouble walking or moving normally.
• Patients on 10+ drugs are 28% more likely to die within five years than those on just one to four.

And it’s not just about physical harm. A 2022 Medicare survey found that 48% of people on five or more drugs believed they had a side effect from their meds. Nearly a third said they stopped going out with friends because they felt too tired, dizzy, or confused.

The Hidden Cost: Money and Mental Load

Let’s talk about money. If you’re on five to nine medications, you’re spending an average of $317 a month just on prescriptions. For someone on a fixed income, that’s a choice between medicine and groceries. Robert, 68, from Melbourne, told his doctor he was skipping his heart pill every other week because he couldn’t afford both his meds and his electricity bill.

Then there’s the mental burden. Martha, 72, used to take 17 pills a day. She kept a chart on her fridge. But she’d still mix them up - took her blood thinner twice one morning. She ended up in the ER with bleeding. "I felt like a pharmacy on legs," she said. "Not a person. A pharmacy."

Studies show patients on 10+ drugs are over three times more likely to miss doses. Why? Complexity. Cost. Side effects. It’s overwhelming.

Who’s Most at Risk?

Older adults are the most affected - not because they’re careless, but because they’re often treated by multiple specialists. One doctor prescribes a statin. Another adds a sleep aid. A third gives a painkiller. None of them talk to each other. And your GP? They’re lucky if they get 15 minutes to review your entire list.

Women over 65 are more likely than men to be on five or more drugs. Why? They live longer, have more chronic conditions, and are more likely to be prescribed antidepressants, benzodiazepines, and anticholinergics - drugs that are especially risky for the brain.

And it’s not just seniors. People with multiple chronic conditions - like kidney disease, heart failure, and diabetes - are also at high risk. Their treatment plans can easily spiral into 10+ medications if not carefully managed.

What’s Being Done? Deprescribing

The answer isn’t to stop all meds. It’s to stop the ones that aren’t helping - or are hurting. That’s called deprescribing.

Deprescribing means reviewing every drug you take - not just prescriptions, but supplements, painkillers, and antacids - and asking: "Is this still necessary?"

It’s not easy. Patients often fear stopping a drug. "What if I get worse?" they ask. But here’s the truth: many side effects disappear within days or weeks of stopping the wrong pill.

One patient in Melbourne was taking 12 meds. After a six-month deprescribing plan, she stopped three - a sleep aid, a stomach pill, and an old blood pressure drug. Within two weeks, her dizziness vanished. She started walking again. Her monthly bill dropped from $480 to $210.

The process usually takes 3 to 6 months. It’s slow. It’s careful. It’s done with your doctor - not on your own.

How to Start the Conversation

If you’re on five or more meds, here’s what to do:

1. Make a full list - every pill, every supplement, every cream or patch.
2. Bring it to your GP or pharmacist. Ask: "Which of these are still necessary?"
3. Ask specifically about anticholinergics, benzodiazepines, NSAIDs, and sleeping pills - these are the top three culprits for side effects in older adults.
4. Ask if any drug is being used just to treat a side effect of another drug.
5. Request a medication review at least once a year - especially if you’ve seen multiple specialists.

Don’t be afraid to say: "I think I’m taking too much. Can we simplify this?"

The Bigger Picture

This isn’t just a personal problem - it’s a system failure. In Australia, only 12% of medical schools teach students how to safely reduce medications. Most GPs say they don’t have enough time or tools to do it right. Medicare has started requiring reviews for people on eight or more drugs, but that’s still too late for many.

Technology is helping. A new tool called MedWise, approved by the FDA in 2022, helps doctors spot dangerous drug combinations before they’re prescribed. But tools won’t fix the problem unless we change how we think about pills.

Medications aren’t trophies. More isn’t better. Sometimes, less is lifesaving.

What You Can Do Today

Don’t wait for a crisis. Take action now:

• Keep a written or digital list of all your meds - including doses and why you take them.
• Use a pill organizer - but don’t let it replace checking with your doctor.
• Ask your pharmacist to review your list during your next refill.
• If you feel dizzy, tired, confused, or unsteady - ask if a medication could be the cause.
• Don’t stop a drug on your own. But do ask: "Can we try going off this one?"

Polypharmacy isn’t inevitable. It’s a choice - made by doctors, patients, and a system that rewards prescribing over pausing. But you have power. Your health isn’t measured by how many pills you take. It’s measured by how well you live.