If you read the package insert of just about every medication, dizziness is likely listed as a side-effect. However, there are medications that are more commonly known to cause falls, dysequilibrium, and dizziness. In fact, it has been found that taking 5+ medications increase a person’s risk of falling, and for elderly to fall and have a hip fracture (Varghese et al., 2024).
Just because you take one of these medications does not mean that you will experience dizziness or falls. If you do experience dizziness/falls, discuss it with your physician.
Medications known to increase changes of dizziness include:
- Those that control blood pressure
- Strong pain medications
- Certain antibiotics (aminoglycosides, macrolides, minocycline, nitrofurantoin, sulfamethoxazole)
- Anticonvulsants
- Certain types of chemotherapy (e.g., Cisplatin)
- Antihistamines
- Benzodiazepines
- Anticholinergics
Medications known to increase chances of falls by slowing reaction time include:
- Anti-anxiety medications
- Benadryl (antihistamine)
- Antidepressants
- Antipsychotics
- Anti-seizure medications
- Sleep medications
- Blood pressure medications
- Strong pain medications
References:
Andonian N. 11 Types of medications that increase fall risk in older adults. [Updated 2024, May 14]. In: GoodRx Health [Internet]. Available from: 11 Medications That Increase Fall Risk in the Elderly – GoodRx
Varghese D, Ishida C, Patel P, et al. Polypharmacy. [Updated 2024 Feb 12]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK532953/