NEVER Go to An Emergency Room (Without Doing This)
Being in an emergency room can be one of the most terrifying… and helpless… feelings of your life.
You’re feeling terrible. You’re filled with anxiety. And you’re putting all of your trust in the doctors and nurses around you.
You’re going to do whatever they say to do… and take whatever they say to take… to get out of there in one piece.
And this is where you need to take a step back…
Because seniors are regularly being given inappropriate – and potentially dangerous – medications in emergency settings.
And knowing what to look out for can keep you or someone you love safe.
Believe me, I have a ton of respect for emergency physicians. They are making quick life-or-death decisions every day.
But they’re human, too. And sometimes the fast decisions they are making are the wrong decisions.
A new study out of Yale looked at nearly 9 million patients and more than 16 million emergency room visits. They found that seniors in particular are still regularly being given drugs that are not recommended for them.
In fact, if you’re between the ages of 65-74, there’s about a 1-in-12 chance this will happen to you.
The drugs that are particularly concerning are first-generation antihistamines and muscle relaxants.
Doctors have known for quite a while that first-generation antihistamines (like diphenhydramine and chlorpheniramine) and muscle relaxants are inappropriate for seniors. They can cause confusion, delirium, low blood pressure, and dizziness that can lead to life-altering falls.
Again, this isn’t a matter of doctors not knowing that these drugs are wrong for older patients. They know… but in the “fog of war” that happens in emergency settings, mistakes can and do happen.
This is why it’s so important to make sure you’re asking questions throughout an ER visit. Ask what you’re being given, which side effects you can expect, and if the drugs are right for your age group.
Even better, have an advocate there with you who can ask questions, speak up for you, and write down everything you’ve been given.
Taking these few simple steps can go a long way toward making sure your emergency room visit ends safely.
View Sources
Iscoe MS, Sangal RB, Hwang U, et al. High-Risk Medication Prescriptions Among Older Adults Discharged from the Emergency Department. JAMA Intern Med. Published online February 09, 2026. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2025.7883
