Anxiety medication for elderly relative. Anyone experiences?

[Chelmew]

Inspired by a recent thread. Has anyone explored prescriptions for anti anxiety medication for their elderly relative.
90 yr old DF is In relatively good health. lives alone. Carers come in to give meds and make a sandwich- I do all other life admin.
He is constantly thinking he’s lost things. Getting stressed about upcoming appointments. Can’t sleep if he has a social event the next day, wakes up in the night worrying about things and phones me. it was 3am last night. It’s upsetting to see them so unnecessarily distressed about minor issues.
I was wondering if a mild antidepressant or anti anxiety medication would help?
Any experience welcome.
thanks.

Is he diagnosed with dementia? There are strategies to help these worries but medication can be prescribed.

No diagnosis.
Definite cognitive decline though.
would asking about a diagnosis help do you think?

I feel like that would be something else for him to worry about so haven’t gone down that route.

He needs properly assessed before being given any medication.

People of all ages, including those in their 90s, take anxiety medication. If you have H&WPOA speak to his doctor; if not make him an appointment.

Not all mental health problems among older people are demEntia. Losing control over your life and becoming dependent on people and systems can make you pretty anxious. And depressed too.

Thanks.
I think I need to get him to the GP.

What OP mentioned does indicate a cognitive decline which she confirmed. It’s not much of a jump to consider dementia. It’s very common for every day things to suddenly cause distress etc but n early dementia.

I think this is the problem.
He’s always been very active and independent- his hearing is failing and a recent wet macular degeneration diagnosis n one eye so his eyesight is deteriorating too.
I can understand his frustration - and fear. He is very aware of his situation.

GP prescribed Sertraline for my DM. It’s made a huge positive difference to her mood.
She is also being assessed for dementia. It takes ages & we now have an appointment for January to get the final diagnosis. I’m expecting it to confirm what I think already & hoping for a prescription for meds which will slow it down.

My elderly MIL has dementia and similarly to you she was in otherwise great health. At the start of her dementia she got very anxious. Thought people were stealing from her / thought there was people in the house / used to sit by the front door guarding it / didn't want to do certain things as was anxious etc.

Dementia nurses were great and started her on medication and within a couple of weeks things were much much better in that respect.

yes My grandma who was unwell for many years, and now my mum who is 73.

Both to help with the psychological impacts of age related physical health conditions. (Cataracts/ ulcers/ diabetes/ thyroid etc)

My mum is late 80s with dementia. She was prescribed citalopram a few years back due to anxiety. She was living independently at the time. She is now in care and has recently been swapped to sertraline. Both have helped considerably with her anxiety.

Thanks everyone.
It’s good to know there are options and positive experiences
Im going to speak to his GP who is fabulous.
I would just like to see him get some joy and pleasure back in his life. 😔

My elderly relative had clear signs of dementia (undiagnosed) including paranoia that people were coming into her flat, stealing from her etc like a PP above. She also had auditory hallucinations daily so she could 'hear' people plotting against her.

She was prescribed sertraline but refused to take it. Combined with asthma and COPD even small anxiety attacks manifested themselves as severe breathing difficulties, which then fuelled the anxiety in a rather unvirtuous circle.

Not helpful, I'm sorry, but getting a prescription is only part of the problem.

Hearing and sight loss can cause real anxiety, as can many of the 'other delights' of old age . Sometimes more support is called for, rather than medication. It is all very difficult for everyone involved. Proper assessment is needed.x

You can only enact the H&W POA once the person has lost capacity to give informed consent. It doesn't sound like your dad is at that stage. So you can't go to the GP behind his back.

Following with interest. My elderly dad has acute health anxiety, which is completely justified given he's quite unwell. I was wondering about an antidepressant to just take the edges off and allow him to be less anxious and maybe getting a bit more pleasure out if the day to day.

Both my parents have had anti anxiety meds. My Dads were prescribed by a psychatrist and pretty heavy duty but made an amazing change to his quality of life. Both had dementia.

He has had a social care assessment and has a care plan which is why the carers come to do his meds.
@AnnaQuayInTheUk sorry - I didn’t mean behind his back- he definitely still has capacity. I will get him an appointment I think.
I am concerned that looking for a dementia diagnosis would make him feel even worse and negatively impact his mood even further. 😔 its so hard.

That’s what I’m looking for too- he knows he’s unwell and is realistic about what he can and can’t do. -I just want him to get more pleasure out of the things he can do!!

Agree with others that he needs properly assessing. I do a lot of Attendance Allowance forms for older people and loads seem to be prescribed mirtazipine at night for anxiety so must be a relatively common problem !

Thanks for the insight. He gets attendance allowance at the lower rate.
I’ll google mertazipine.

It is difficult to bring up dementia, but with DM she was very aware of her memory loss issues and the approach I took was that it would be a good idea for her to see the GP about the memory loss as there were different possible causes and some of them were treatable.

As the process has gone on and she has done more detailed tests her awareness of the problem has increased and the D-word has gradually been introduced occasionally -- as in it may be dementia or it could be age-related cognitive decline. Of course she forgets this, but I think at some level she understands. We are 9 months into the process and will get the formal diagnosis next month. It takes a long time and I'd advise to start now - because if it's the kind that can be slowed with meds, the sooner you start on them the better.

FIL 83 has been prescribed citalopram for 6-8 months now. He has recently what you describe @Chelmew - constantly checking where his driving licence and bank card was, searching for cash he kept in his pocket, and convinced that someone was trying to steal them all. Also very agitated whenever he has a medical appointment or any other reason he might need to go out - phoning SIL repeatedly in the run up to ask her to cancel, saying he’s got an upset stomach, saying he doesn’t feel up to it. He’s been taking it for 6 months or so now and he’s much calmer, though still reluctant to go outside (had a bad fall last Christmas and ended up in hospital at the same time as MIL passed way in her care home). A full review at the gp with you present might be a good idea.

Thanks. I think you’re right. from everyones response it seems that I need to get hom
back to the GP for a review.