Antidepressants and the elderly

Antidepressant Use and Dementia Risk in the Elderly. What is the best depression medication for the elderly? Should antidepressant medications be used in the elderly? Are antidepressants safe in elderly patients?

Should Atavan be given to an elderly Dimentia patient?

The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors ( SSRIs ) and the newer antidepressants buproprion , mirtazapine , moclobemide , and venlafaxine (a selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor or SNRI ) are all relatively safe in the elderly. Reynolds says many older patients are taken off antidepressant drugs within six months or a year of initial treatment. Tricyclic antidepressants : If an elderly individual is using a tricyclic antidepressant , they need to be used with precaution due to their side effects. Various tricyclics that appear to be effective for old people include: nortriptyline , amitriptyline , clomipramine, and desipramine.

Clinical data from depression studies in the elderly can guide effective antidepressant treatment and monitoring to reduce morbidity and mortality from both the depressive disorder and from adverse reactions to the medication. Examples: Nortriptyline, amitriptyline. These drugs are highly anticholinergic and can exacerbate multiple different disease states.

Response to antidepressants in the elderly varies widely from to , compared with to for placebo , with inconsistencies in part owing to use of secondary analysis, variable age cutoffs, and short trials. Efficacy might decrease with patient age. The need for a placebo control in trials of antidepressants in the elderly is therefore gaining acceptance.

Dosage is also an important therapeutic issue, which must be addressed by the clinical trial. The benefit: risk assessment must evaluate the risks associated with both suboptimum dose and excessive dose. Although they are optimally provided in conjunction with psychotherapy, in many cases they are used alone. In recent years concerns have developed about modern antidepressant medications, including concerns about their ultimate efficacy and particular risks that may be seen in older adult populations.

Free 2-day Shipping On Millions of Items. Clinically Proven Herbal Medication Eases Depression in Min. Naturally Boost GABA and Serotonin. Although the relative benefits of new antidepressants are now clearer,there are still valid concerns about prescribing to youngerand older patients.

Although the reduction in suicide with the use of antidepressants is evident in older people,it has been harder to determine whether increased prescribing may also cause harm. For older adults taking antidepressants , newer drugs may bring more health risks than older drugs, a new study from British researchers suggests. The study, published in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society, examined how treating Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) in adults over with certain classes of antidepressants can lead to adverse effects.

How effective are antidepressants for treating depres-sion in the elderly ? Daytime drowsiness is a significant risk factor for falls, both in untreated depression and in depression treated with antidepressants.

The newer SSRIs are effective and generally well tolerated by elderly patients. Rarely, an antidepressant can cause high levels of serotonin to accumulate in your body. Serotonin syndrome most often occurs when two medications that raise the level of serotonin are combined. These include other antidepressants , certain pain or headache medications, and the herbal supplement St.

Elderly patients with depression should be informed of their diagnosis, as many older patients taking antidepressants are unaware of their diagnosis of depression, and increasing patient and family understanding might affect outcomes by improving treatment adherence. Since elderly people are more sensitive to medicines, doctors may prescribe lower doses at first. Any Insurance or No Insurance Ok.

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