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Medication Side Effects. MEDICATION SIDE EFFECTS. All medications can cause side effects Contributing factors Age Weight Sex Overall health Ethnicity Severity of disease. Medication Side Effects. Side Effect: an undesirable secondary effect of a drug or other form of medical treatment
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MEDICATION SIDE EFFECTS • All medications can cause side effects • Contributing factors • Age • Weight • Sex • Overall health • Ethnicity • Severity of disease
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
COMMON MEDICATION SIDE EFFECTS • Nausea • Vomiting • Fatigue • Dizziness • Dry Mouth • Headache • Itching • Muscle Aches and Pains
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
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.
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
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.
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
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
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
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
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