The antidepressants most often prescribed to treat depression in dementia patients provide no appreciable relief, and may raise the risk for serious side effects, new British research suggests.
"The two classes of antidepressants most likely to be prescribed for depression in Alzheimer's disease are no more effective than placebo," the study authors said.
The drugs in question are Zoloft (sertraline), and Remeron (mirtazapine).
"In our study, there were more adverse reactions in individuals treated with antidepressants than there were with placebo," the research team added. "Clinicians and investigators need to reframe the way they think about the treatment of people with Alzheimer's disease who are depressed, and reconsider routine prescription of antidepressants."
via nlm.nih.gov