SSRIs considered to have the best safety profile in the elderly are citalopram, escitalopram, and sertraline.

What is the best anti anxiety medication for the elderly?

Buspirone is an anti-anxiety drug that has been shown to be effective for older adults. Benzodiazepines, another anti-anxiety drug, are effective but should be prescribed carefully to older adults because of risk of memory impairment, unsteadiness, and falls.

Are antidepressants effective for elderly?

Second, antidepressants are effective in treating depression in older populations, although they are not always as effective as we and our patients would like. Third, antidepressants have side effects and risks, some of which can be observed acutely while others may be longer-term consequences.

What is the best and safest antidepressant?

The investigators recommend sertraline as the best choice for an initial antidepressant because it is available in generic form and is therefore lower in cost. They further recommend that sertraline, instead of fluoxetine or placebo, be the new standard against which other antidepressants are compared.

Which antidepressant should be avoided in the elderly?

Tricyclic antidepressants, especially amitriptyline and dothiepin,¹⁶ are known to pose a high risk of death in overdosage. These drugs should therefore be avoided in older people whose medication is not supervised and who are at risk of taking an overdose.

Is Paxil good for the elderly?

The pharmacology of paroxetine (a short half-life and lack of active metabolites) suggests that it is a particularly useful medication for the depressed elderly. References NIH Concensus Development Panel on Depression in Late Life: Diagnosis and treatment of depression in late life.

Is Zoloft good for elderly?

Sertraline is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) with well established antidepressant and anxiolytic activity. Results from several well designed trials show that sertraline (50-200 mg/day) is effective in the treatment of major depressive disorder in elderly patients (> or =60 years of age).

Is Lexapro good for elderly?

They said antidepressants like Lexapro, made by Forest Laboratories Inc and known generically as escitalopram, may be useful as a new treatment option for older adults with generalized anxiety disorder, a disabling condition that can also cause muscle tension, insomnia and fatigue.

Is Remeron a good antidepressant for the elderly?

Mirtazapine is clearly better tolerated than tricyclic agents and is appropriate for some geriatric patients. Mirtazapine may be especially helpful in those who need a sedating agent or in patients who need to gain weight. An increase in appetite was reported in 17 percent of patients taking mirtazapine.

What is the most successful antidepressant?

Antidepressants sold in the United States that the study found to be most effective included:

• Amitriptyline.
• Effexor (venlafaxine)
• Lexapro (escitalopram)
• Paxil (paroxetine)
• Remeron (mirtazapine)
• Trintellix (vortioxetine)

What is the number one antidepressant?

Zoloft is the most commonly prescribed antidepressant; nearly 17% of those surveyed in the 2017 antidepressant use study reported that they had taken this medication. 3. Paxil (paroxetine): You might be more likely to have sexual side effects if you choose Paxil over other antidepressants.

What is the most prescribed antidepressant?

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the most prescribed type of antidepressant and include:

• Fluoxetine.
• Citalopram.
• Sertraline.
• Paroxetine.
• Escitalopram.

Which antidepressants have the least side effects?

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). These medications generally cause fewer bothersome side effects and are less likely to cause problems at higher therapeutic doses than other types of antidepressants are.

Is Cymbalta good for elderly?

Conclusions: Duloxetine improved cognition, depression, and some pain measures and was safe and well tolerated in elderly patients with recurrent major depressive disorder. Major depressive disorder is a common disorder in the elderly and is often associated with physical disability and cognitive deficits (1, 2).

What is the most common medication problem in the elderly?

Warfarin is one of the most common causes of medication-related hospitalizations in older adults. To reduce the risk of serious problems, one may need to apply extra care in monitoring warfarin effect (via the prothrombin blood test) and extra care in checking for interactions when a new drug is prescribed.