I was reading an article today with the title, "Caution with antidepressants in the elderly".
It was based on a large UK study which showed a higher incidence of side effects in the elderly taking antidepressants. However, this is not "new" information. It has always been our usual clinical practice to "caution with the elderly". My approach with the elderly has always been, "start low, go slow, and reassess ongoing need" with all medications, and not just with antidepressants.
So my advice here is, talk to your Doctor about your antidepressants, and reassess it on a regular basis in order to weigh up the pros and cons of continuing with the medication. Your Doctor can talk to you about the option of counselling with a psychologist or counsellor, and see if this can lessen your reliance on medications.
Remember that caution does not mean that you should go off it, so please do not just stop it. It just means that you need to be cautious and liase with your family Doctor about it on a regular basis.
