Pharmacologic Agents Used to Treat Depression in Elderly Patients

•May 15, 2004

• When social support and talk therapy are not enough, other types of depression treatments that may be effective for depression in the elderly include antidepressant medications and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). These therapies are almost always used in addition to psychotherapy and support: Antidepressants.

What Treatments Are Available for Depression in Older Adults? Treatments for depression include medicine, psychotherapy or counseling, or electroconvulsive therapy or other newer forms of brain stimulation (such as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, or rTMS). Sometimes, a combination of these treatments may be used.

What is the most effective treatment for depression in older adults?

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) recommends that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as citalopram (Celexa) and fluoxetine (Prozac), be used as first-line depression therapy for elderly people mainly because these drugs have less dangerous side effects than other antidepressants and are less

Which drug is the first choice for treating depression in older adults?

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 are the three forms of treatment for depression?

There are many types of therapy available. Three of the more common methods used in depression treatment include cognitive behavioral therapy , interpersonal therapy , and psychodynamic therapy . Often, a blended approach is used.

What medication is usually prescribed to patients with depression?

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 ).

What is the most common cause of depression in older adults?

Older adults also may have more medical conditions, such as heart disease, stroke, or cancer , which may cause depressive symptoms. Or they may be taking medications with side effects that contribute to depression.

How does depression in older adults differ from depression in younger adults?

Depression impacts older people differently than younger people . In the elderly , depression often occurs with other medical illnesses and disabilities and lasts longer. Depression in the elderly is associated with an increased risk of cardiac diseases and an increased risk of death from illness.

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.

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.

What is the most common inappropriately prescribed drug to the elderly?

Diphenhydramine and amitriptiline are the most common inappropriately prescribed medications with high risk adverse events while propoxyphene and doxazoxin are the most commonly prescribed medications with low risk adverse events.

What is the first line treatment for depression?

Consider sertraline and escitalopram as first-line agents for initial treatment of major depression in adults. The least tolerated antidepressants in this study were bupropion, fluoxetine, paroxetine, and duloxetine.

Can stimulants be used for depression?

Stimulants . D- amphetamine (Dexedrine) and methylphenidate (Ritalin) are stimulants used to treat depression . They can be used as monotherapy, but they may also be used in a combination therapy with antidepressant medications. They’re most helpful when the desired effect is a quick response.

What test is used for depression?

The Zung Scale is a screening tool used to help assess the level of depression in people who are depressed. It is a 20-question test that provides a score range from 20 to 80. Most depressed people score between 50 and 69. A score above that indicates severe depression.

What are the top 5 antidepressants?

Examples of SSRIs are: Prozac ( fluoxetine ) Paxil ( paroxetine ) Zoloft (sertraline) Celexa ( citalopram ) Luvox (fluvoxamine) Lexapro (escitalopram) Trintellix (vortioxetine) Viibryd (vilazodone)

What is the strongest antidepressant medication?

The most effective antidepressants for adults revealed in major review escitalopram . paroxetine . sertraline . agomelatine . mirtazapine .

What is the most popular drug for depression?

Zoloft is the most commonly prescribed antidepressant; nearly 17% of those survey in the 2017 antidepressant use study reported that they had taken this medication. 1 Paxil ( paroxetine ): You might be more likely to have sexual side effects if you choose Paxil over other antidepressants.