Medication Side Effects

1. Medication Side Effects

2. MEDICATION SIDE EFFECTS • All medications can cause side effects • Contributing factors • Age • Weight • Sex • Overall health • Ethnicity • Severity of disease

3. Medication Side Effects • Side Effect: an undesirable secondary effect of a drug or other form of medical treatment • Minimal to serious and harmful • New medication • Change in dosage • Stops using medication • Team Member • Seek medical help • Document the side effect and medical intervention and file Incident Report

4. COMMON MEDICATION SIDE EFFECTS • Nausea • Vomiting • Fatigue • Dizziness • Dry Mouth • Headache • Itching • Muscle Aches and Pains

5. NEED FOR MEDICAL ATTENTION • Abdominal Pain • Blurred Vision • Constipation • Diarrhea • Dizziness • Headaches • Loss of Appetite • Memory Loss • Heart Palpitations • Coordination Problems • Ringing in the Ears • Skin Rashes or Hives • Swelling of Hands or Feet • Loss of Consciousness or Fainting

6. APPROPRIATE RESPONSE TO OBSERVED SIDE EFFECTS • Previously unobserved side effect the person’s physician should be contacted immediately. • Medication should NEVER be discontinued without approval from the person’s physician. • If the side effect appears to be serious call the nurse and physician and then get the person to the emergency room as quickly as possible.

7. COMMON MEDICATIONS FOR PERSONS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES • Intellectually Disabled have greater incidences • Epilepsy or other seizure disorders • Mental illness • Behavior disorders • Anti-Seizure Medications • Psychotropic or Antipsychotic Medications

8. ANTI-SEIZURE MEDICATIONS AND THEIR SIDE EFFECTS

11. NOTE: It is not necessary to memorize this or any chart in the training. It is, however, necessary to have this and other information on medication side effects readily available when working with persons with intellectual disabilities who may not be able to tell you that they are having these effects. The team member must recognize the side effects and respond appropriately.

12. EXTRAPYRAMIDAL SIDE EFFECTS OF ANTI-PSYCHOTIC MEDICATIONS • Improper dosing • Unusual reactions to neuroleptic medications • Physical Symptoms • Tremor • Slurred speech • Akathisia • restlessness in body and muscles, • move constantly

13. EXTRAPYRAMIDAL SIDE EFFECTS OF ANTI-PSYCHOTIC MEDICATIONS (2) • Dystonia • handwriting deterioration, • foot cramps or foot pulls up or drags • Neck turns or pulls involuntarily • Rapid, uncontrolled blinking • Paranoia • Anxiety or fear • Irrationality • Delusion • Bradyphrenia - Slow thought process

14. More Typical Side Effects of Anti-Psychotic Medications • Aggression • Agitation • Anger • Depression • Hostility • Hyperactivity • Irritability • Destruction of Property • Self-injurious behavior • Socially inappropriate behavior • Temper Tantrums • Difficulties concentrating • Confusion • Sedation • Motor Uncoordination

15. More Typical Side Effects of Anti-Psychotic Medications • Deterioration of teeth • Neuroleptic malignant syndrome – a sudden increase in temperature to dangerous levels • Dysphoria – disquiet; restlessness; a vague sense of mental or moral ill-being • Impotence • TardiveDyskinesia – jerky, abnormal or delayed movements in the face; head; trunk or extremities, such as rapid eye blinking or repetitive lip sucking, rocking, or twisting • Lethargy • Intense dreams or nightmares

16. COMMON SIDE EFFECTS OF MORE TYPICAL TYPES OF MEDICATION

21. SOURCES FOR RESEARCH ABOUT SIDE EFFECTS • Physician’s Desk Reference (PDR) – Physician Drug and Health Information • PDR.NET – website for professional medical information • MedlinePlus – offers patient-friendly information on medications and herbs: medlineplus.gov • RXList – provides information on medications and side effects: www.rxlist.com • PDR Health – Prescription Drug and Health Information: www.pdrhealth.net