Drugs you might want to skip

Women take about 40 percent more prescription drugs than men, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Women visit doctors about 35 percent more often, too—and that's not counting ob/gyn appointments and other preventive care. That might be one reason women live about five years longer than men on average. Also, women are often better about taking care of their health and their family's health.

But there's one not-so-good result of all those doctor visits: Women are prescribed lots of pills, as the statistics show. Even more disturbing, our investigative analysis finds that some of those drugs are prescribed to women when they might not need to be at all.

Examples

Atorvastatin (Lipitor), lovastatin (Altoprev, Mevacor, and generic), pravastatin (Pravachol and generic), and rosuvastatin (Crestor)

The risk

In the U.S.,16 percent of women ages 45 to 64 take a statin, and more than a third of women 65 and older do, too. Many docs assume statins will give women the same benefits as men when it comes to preventing heart disease. But for women at low risk, studies show that statins won't help you live longer. Plus they can cause muscle pain and weakness, and increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and liver damage.

What to try instead

If your only risk factor is elevated LDL (bad) cholesterol, your first step should be to adopt healthful lifestyle practices: Quit smoking, eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, exercise, lose weight, and moderate your alcohol consumption.

Examples

Codeine, oxycodone (OxyContin and generic), and oxycodone with acetaminophen (Percocet and generic)

The risk

Women take almost 50 percent more narcotic pain relievers than men. (Women report suffering from more pain-related conditions.) But long-term use of narcotics can increase sensitivity to pain. One study found that about half of people who take them suffer adverse effects such as drowsiness, nausea, and constipation, and in another study, about a quarter of people misused them.

What to try instead

For lower-back pain, hands-on treatments such as chiropractic, massage, and physical therapy rated higher than meds in our recent survey. Exercise and occasional use of over-the-counter pain relievers such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and naproxen can help. Research has shown that doing Hatha yoga at least twice a week can help with back pain.

Examples

Aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil and generic), and naproxen (Aleve and generic)

The risk

Many experts believe people take more NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) than they should, but women take a third more than men in any given year. And up to 10 percent of people who take them experience stomach bleeding. NSAIDs can also affect blood pressure and kidney function, and taking high doses for long periods can raise heart attack and stroke risk.

What to try

instead Take a pain-reliever holiday every so often. Consider alternatives such as massage, acupuncture, and glucosamine sulfate (for joint pain).

Examples

Esomeprazole (Nexium), lansoprazole (Prevacid, Prevacid 24HR), and omeprazole (Prilosec, Prilosec OTC, and generic)

The risk

Those drugs are very widely used, and women are the biggest users, taking 40 percent more than men. Studies show that people who take them have a higher risk of pneumonia and infections with clostridium difficile (a potentially deadly bacteria), and for women, bone fractures.

What to try instead

Limit alcohol and caffeine, eat smaller meals, lose weight, quit smoking, and avoid lying down until 2 hours after eating. Antacids such as Mylanta, Rolaids, and Tums can relieve the occasional bout of heartburn.

Examples

Alendronate (Fosamax and generic), ibandronate (Boniva), and risedronate (Actonel and generic)

The risk

Unless you have osteoporosis or you're at very high risk because you have a family history of it, are very thin, or are a smoker, the limited help those drugs can offer might not be worth the risk of rare but serious side effects. Those include abnormal heart rhythm; severe bone, joint, and muscle pain; bone loss in the jaw; thigh fractures; and esophageal ulcers.

What to try instead

Get at least 800 international units of vitamin D a day from food or supplements, and 1,200 milligrams of calcium if you're 50 or older. Do weight-bearing exercise such as walking several times a week to strengthen muscles and bones.

These drugs aren't necessarily overprescribed, but far more women take them than men. If you take one of the following medications, talk to your doctor frequently about how you're feeling and what nondrug alternatives you might explore. Warning: Don't suddenly stop taking these drugs (or any prescription); talk to your doctor first.

Antidepressants

Who takes them

1 in 5 women vs.1 in 12 men

Examples

Duloxetine (Cymbalta), fluoxetine (Prozac and generic), sertraline (Zoloft and generic), and venlafaxine (Effexor)

What to ask your doctor

Are there alternatives? Women experience more depression, anxiety and mood disorders, and post-traumatic stress, all treated with antidepressants. Ask your doctor about nondrug options, such as cognitive behavioral therapy and St. John's wort for mild depression.

Antihypertensives

Who takes them

1 in 20 women vs. 1 in 33 men

Examples

Benazepril (Lotensin and generic), enalapril (Vasotec and generic), chlorthalidone, hydrochlorothiazide, diltiazem (Cardizem and generic), losartan (Cozaar and generic), and nadolol (Corgard and generic)

What to ask your doctor

Can you reduce the dose of or even stop blood-pressure medication if you eat better and exercise more? Research has shown that regular aerobic activity 30 minutes a day and losing weight can help lower blood pressure. So can reducing sodium in your diet and taking fish-oil supplements. But if you have a family history of high blood pressure, suffer from diabetes, are overweight, or are taking birth control pills or NSAIDs, you might have more trouble controlling your blood pressure.

Antihistamines

Who takes them

1 in 22 women vs. 1 in 35 men

Examples

Fexofenadine (Allegra, Allegra OTC , and generic), loratadine (Alavert, Claritin, and generic),desloratadine (Clarinex), and cetirizine (Zyrtec, Zyrtec OTC, and generic)

What to ask your doctor

What about over-the-counter choices? Only about a quarter of our respondents in a recent survey said they were highly satisfied with prescription allergy drugs. The drugs did only slightly better than avoidance measures such as staying indoors on high-pollen days. If avoidance isn't enough, ask your doctor about loratadine; it's a Best Buy drug, and you don't need a prescription.

Sedatives

Who takes them

1 in 18 women vs. 1 in 31 men

Examples

Alprazolam (Xanax and generic) for anxiety, zolpidem (Ambien and generic) for insomnia

What to ask your doctor

What about cognitive behavioral therapy or melatonin supplements? Those treatments have all been shown to reduce symptoms without the risk of a drug-induced hangover.