Warning over elderly patients being left on antidepressants for decades - as experts say it puts them at risk of memory problems and life-threatening falls

Thousands of older patients are being near connected antidepressants for decades that puts them astatine hazard of representation problems and life-threatening falls, experts warn.

More than 1 successful 5 over-65s are present taking antidepressants – much than treble the fig of 20 years ago.

Doctors pass that arsenic patients age, complications from taking the pills go much likely. Research besides suggests older patients could beryllium astatine greater hazard of withdrawal symptoms.

Despite this, immoderate experts impeach GPs of allowing patients to stay connected antidepressants indefinitely and failing to connection aged radical safer forms of depression treatment, specified arsenic talking therapy.

Last month, The Mail connected Sunday’s GP columnist Dr Ellie Cannon wrote that she was acrophobic immoderate patients were remaining connected the drugs agelong aft their intelligence wellness issues person subsided.

In response, this paper heard from dozens of patients who had been taking the tablets for much than decade.

One 75-year-old from Derby has been taking antidepressants since 1990. Despite regular trips to the GP, Bill Jennings says nary 1 has ever suggested helium travel disconnected them.

Heather Hicks, a 76-year-old from East Sussex, says she has been connected the tablets since 1996 aft they were prescribed to assistance with marital problems. She has tried to halt taking them 3 times but has been incapable to owed to withdrawal symptoms.

‘I privation the GP had suggested counselling alternatively than prescribing a cause that is truthful hard to stop,’ Ms Hicks says.

Experts accidental it is important GPs place older patients who tin safely travel disconnected antidepressants.

‘We cognize that determination are patients who person been connected antidepressants for a precise agelong time, who possibly nary longer request them,’ says Robert Howard, Professor of Old Age Psychiatry astatine University College London.

More than 8 cardinal radical successful the UK instrumentality antidepressants. There are nary NHS guidelines mounting retired the magnitude of clip patients should enactment connected them, though they are told to instrumentality them for astatine slightest six months aft symptoms subside.

The astir communal antidepressants are known arsenic selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which enactment by expanding a chemic successful the brain, serotonin, linked to bully mood. But they person a fig of imaginable side-effects, including agitation, nausea, dizziness, nonaccomplishment of libido, and, successful men, erectile dysfunction.

In astir cases, these symptoms are mild and mostly amended implicit time. However, experts pass that these symptoms tin go much debilitating successful aged age.

Most concerningly, older patients connected antidepressants who endure dizziness are astatine hazard of falls that tin pb to life-threatening bony fractures.

Though if they bash effort to travel disconnected them determination is besides the hazard of suffering withdrawal symptoms, including restlessness, occupation sleeping and temper swings.

Some experts reason that GPs are to blasted for the rising fig of older radical near connected antidepressants – but admit that patients are not ever being offered viable alternatives.

Studies amusement that little than 6 per cent of patients referred for talking therapy are over-65, contempt making up astir 20 per cent of the population.

‘Many of these older patients are ne'er seen by a intelligence wellness specialist, they’re conscionable bunged connected antidepressants by their GP,’ says 1 psychiatrist. ‘And then, due to the fact that the GPs don’t cheque up connected them, these patients stay connected the tablets indefinitely.’

However, the GPs disagree. ‘The aged often get depressed due to the fact that they’re lonely and socially isolated,’ says Professor Dame Clare Gerada, erstwhile president of the Royal College of General Practitioners. ‘Treatment which involves immoderate societal engagement, similar radical counselling oregon therapy, would beryllium large for these patients.

‘But NHS waiting lists for these treatments are years long, mostly due to the fact that truthful galore young radical person intelligence wellness issues now.

‘So there’s not truly immoderate different enactment different than antidepressants. However, we request to get amended astatine moving retired which patients tin yet travel disconnected them.’