Falls Risk: How Medications Increase Danger and What You Can Do

When you take a pill for your blood pressure, sleep, or pain, you might not think about how it affects your balance. But falls risk, the chance of accidentally stumbling, slipping, or collapsing, often linked to drug side effects is one of the quietest dangers in home medicine. It’s not just about being old—it’s about what’s in your medicine cabinet. Over 40% of adults over 65 who fall are taking at least one medication that dizziness, drowsiness, or low blood pressure. And many of these drugs are prescribed without anyone ever asking: "Does this make you unsteady?"

Medication safety, the practice of using drugs without causing unintended harm isn’t just about avoiding overdoses. It’s about watching for the subtle signs: feeling lightheaded after standing up, needing to hold onto walls to walk, or noticing your steps feel slower. Drugs like beta blockers, common heart medications that can drop blood pressure too low, antihistamines, allergy pills that make you sleepy even during the day, and even some pain relievers can turn your living room into a hazard zone. You don’t need to stop taking them—but you do need to know if they’re pulling you off balance. A simple change, like switching from glyburide to glipizide for diabetes, can cut your fall risk by nearly half. Or replacing a sedating antihistamine with a non-drowsy version might be all it takes to keep you upright.

People with low vision, hearing loss, or those managing multiple prescriptions are especially vulnerable. That’s why organizing your meds, tracking side effects with a lab calendar, and talking to your pharmacist about drug interactions aren’t just good habits—they’re fall prevention tools. You don’t need fancy gadgets. Just a clear list, a watchful eye, and the courage to ask: "Could this be making me unsteady?" The posts below show you exactly which drugs are most likely to cause trouble, how to spot the warning signs before you fall, and what real people have done to stay safe at home.