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Medication-Related Falls & Fall Prevention

A fall is rarely caused by just one thing. Medicines that affect alertness, blood pressure, balance, vision, or blood sugar can add to other risks—and a careful review can often reduce that risk.

Written and reviewed by Nick Anderson, PharmD · Reviewed September 13, 2026

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About your visit
Three quick medication-safety questions

1. A complete medicine list should include nonprescription products, vitamins, and supplements.

2. It is safe to suddenly stop any medicine that might cause dizziness.

3. A pharmacist can help check for duplicate medicines and interactions.

How confident are you about using a medicine list and asking medication-safety questions?

Privacy: no name, email address, birth date, diagnosis, medicine, provider, or caregiver-record entry is collected. An anonymous code on this device connects the starting and follow-up checks.

Medicines worth reviewing

Ask a pharmacist or prescriber to review medicines that may cause sleepiness, confusion, blurred vision, low blood pressure, or low blood sugar. These can include:

  • Sleep medicines, anti-anxiety medicines, opioids, muscle relaxants, and some seizure medicines
  • Some antidepressants, antipsychotics, and medicines with anticholinergic effects
  • Blood-pressure medicines or water pills, especially after a dose change
  • Diabetes medicines that can cause low blood sugar
  • Over-the-counter nighttime, allergy, cold, or motion-sickness products

Risk depends on the person, dose, combinations, and timing. Do not stop a medicine suddenly on your own.

Signs a medicine may be contributing

  • New dizziness, wobbliness, sleepiness, or confusion
  • Feeling faint when standing up
  • A fall or near-fall soon after starting a medicine or changing a dose
  • Low blood sugar symptoms such as sweating, shaking, weakness, or confusion
  • Needing to hurry to the bathroom at night

Write down when the symptom happens and which medicines were taken beforehand. Share that timeline with a healthcare professional.

A practical fall-prevention plan

Review

  • Bring every prescription, over-the-counter product, vitamin, and supplement to a medication review.
  • Ask whether the dose, timing, or number of medicines can be safely simplified.
  • Request a review after a fall, hospital stay, new prescription, or dose change.

Reduce hazards

  • Rise slowly and pause before walking.
  • Use good lighting, secure rugs and cords, and keep a clear path to the bathroom.
  • Wear supportive shoes and use prescribed glasses or mobility aids.
  • Ask about safe strength and balance exercise.

After a fall: know when it is urgent

Call 911 in the United States for loss of consciousness, trouble breathing, chest pain, signs of stroke, severe bleeding, a visibly deformed limb, or inability to get up. Seek prompt medical advice after a head injury—especially if the person takes a blood thinner—or for new confusion, severe headache, vomiting, weakness, or worsening pain.

Trusted resources

General education only. This page does not replace individualized advice. Never start, stop, or change a medicine without guidance from a qualified healthcare professional.

Finished this guide? Record what you learned

Your anonymous answers help evaluate medication-safety knowledge, confidence, and intended next steps.

Three quick medication-safety questions

1. A complete medicine list should include nonprescription products, vitamins, and supplements.

2. It is safe to suddenly stop any medicine that might cause dizziness.

3. A pharmacist can help check for duplicate medicines and interactions.

How confident are you about using a medicine list and asking medication-safety questions?
What do you plan to do?

After submitting, you can use the same anonymous code for the optional 30-day action check.

Nick Anderson, PharmDClinical referenceNick Anderson, PharmDBCGP certification lapsed · View professional profile

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