Elder anxiety, medication and fall risk

[Anonymous]

Does anyone have experience with anti-anxiety medication for the elderly (Zoloft, Buspirone, etc). Was it helpful? I know many of these drugs come with warnings about balance issues/falling as a side effect and I’m trying to weigh pros and cons. My elderly father is experiencing terrible anxiety and I’d like to get him help but he has fallen in the past so I’m nervous to put him on yet another medication. Would love to hear what others have experienced with these meds (either positive or negative)

[Anonymous]

Yes, in the case of both my parents worth the risk. The anxiety can turn into anger and can really interfere with functioning. Dad was already falling pre-meds. No idea if meds increased it because he was in decline regardless. Mom had no fall issues so far.

[Anonymous]

Youd need to talk to a doctor, but it could be dementia starting.

[Anonymous]

My mom was on Prozac for years and is now on buspiron and another anti-anxiety med and she’s fine. Highly recommended because the anxiety can be debilitating.

[Anonymous]

OP here, thank you!

[Anonymous]

My dad was given Seroquel for his anxiety, paranoia, sleep issues, and agitation. It helped.

[Anonymous]

I highly recommend a geriatric psychiatrist because effectiveness of treatments can change with age and other conditions and medications.

For my dad, it turns out his anxiety and OCD were due to dementia, and the usual anti-anxiety anti-OCD meds did not help.

[Anonymous]

Talk with a psychologist. My mother, with Parkinson's and many falls, benefitted greatly from anti-anxiety medication. When she is less anxious, she is better able to focus on walking and implementing strategies she's learned in PT to maintain balance.

Best of luck. I know the amount of medication can seem overwhelming and hard to manage, but some things are really helpful and worth the risk. In our case, it helped my mom be more social and have overall better quality of life, in our opinion worth the risk - especially b/c close monitoring showed her balance improved and did not worsen with the medication.

[Anonymous]

OP here. This is immensely helpful. I learned that there is a memory care psychiatric team in the senior living place they are in so I’ve set up an initial assessment with them to get the ball rolling. Thankful for all your replies!

[Anonymous]

I was gojng to ask this same question for my mom! I don’t think there’s any way I can get her to a geriatric psychiatrist but I’m sure her GP would prescribe if I asked him. Is there any way to figure out which might be the best first line medication with lowest risks of side effects?