Antidepressants and unresponsive episodes in the elderly

Abstract

SummaryWe present a case where initiation of antidepressant therapy was associated with an episode of unresponsiveness. Providing the opportunity to examine the possible pitfalls in geriatric prescribing. BACKGROUND

Persistent benefits of slow titration of paroxetine in a six‐month follow‐up

“…However such lower doses, which are subtherapeutic in younger individuals, are often taken for longer periods (Unutzer, ). So the failure to use effective doses in elderly patients may become the reason for a lack of clinical response and referrals made to specialists for depression incorrectly diagnosed as “treatment resistant” (McGuinness and Delicata, ; Taylor, ). As a possible solution, the antidepressant could be started at a lower dose and regularly increased at fixed intervals as tolerated within a few weeks of treatment.…”