SSRIs considered to have the best safety profile in the elderly are citalopram, escitalopram, and sertraline. [16] These have the lowest potential for drug-drug interactions based on their cytochrome P-450 interactions.

What is the best anti anxiety medication for 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 bad for the elderly?

Studies have found that while antidepressants can be helpful in older adults, they may not always be as effective as in younger patients. Also, the risk of side effects or potential reactions with other medicines must be carefully considered.

Which classification of medications is most commonly used to treat late life depression?

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) were launched in the mid to late 1980s. This generation of antidepressants is now the most common class used for depression. Examples include citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram (Lexapro), paroxetine (Paxil, Pexeva), fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem), and sertraline (Zoloft).

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 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.

Which antidepressant should be avoided in 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.

What is the safest antidepressant?

Among the newer antidepressants, bupropion and venlafaxine were associated with the highest case fatality rates. In addition, among SSRIs, citalopram and fluvoxamine appeared to be related to higher mortality rates in overdose, whereas fluoxetine and sertraline were the safest [188].

Should antidepressant medication be used in the elderly?

Late-life depression is a serious illness accompanied by medical morbidity, cognitive decline, and risk of suicide. Antidepressant medications are a cornerstone of treatment for depressed elders. Although they are optimally provided in conjunction with psychotherapy, in many cases they are used alone.

What is a happy pill for depression?

“Happy pills” — in particular the anxiolytic drugs Miltown and Valium and the antidepressant Prozac — have been spectacularly successful “products” over the last 5 decades, largely because they have widespread off label use. Miltown, launched in the 1950s, was the first “blockbuster” psychotropic drug in the US.

What are the top 5 antidepressants?

When the researchers checked which depression drugs were tolerated the best, these topped the list:

• Celexa (citalopram)
• Lexapro (escitalopram)
• Prozac (fluoxetine)
• Trintellix (vortioxetine)
• Zoloft (sertraline)

Is Wellbutrin Safe for elderly?

PARIS, FRANCE — September 20, 2006 — Once-daily use of an extended-release formulation of bupropion (Wellbutrin XL(R)) is both efficacious and safe in elderly patients with major depressive disorder, according to a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, flexible-dose, placebo-controlled trial.

Is Lexapro better than Zoloft?

A 2014 study published in International Clinical Psychopharmacology suggested that Lexapro may be more effective and better tolerated than Zoloft or Paxil. Lexapro has different binding site interactions which may lead to better efficacy and tolerability.

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 Zoloft linked to dementia?

According to the University of Regina research, popular SSRI (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) antidepressant medications, such as Prozac, Paxil, Lexapro, Zoloft, etc., are associated with a twofold increase in the odds of developing some form of cognitive impairment, such as dementia, including Alzheimer’s.