Posted by med_empowered on December 3, 2005, at 16:43:03
In reply to Older Antipsychotic Drugs Called Risky, posted by jamestheyonger on December 3, 2005, at 0:15:09
I think it is usually inappropriate to "treat" elderly people with antipsychotics. Such "treatment" usually serves to make life easier for the people looking after them--not the patient themselves.
Besides, despite the bad rap benzos are given these days, they're actually pretty helpful with senile agitation and the like. Small doses of xanax, valium, klonopin, etc. can make life easier for everyone while producing fewer side effects (and less dangerous side effects, also) than the antipsychotics (both old and new). I read a disturbing anti-benzo page once that called for the use of small doses of Mellaril in the elderly instead of benzos, which apparently were created in the deepest, darkest nether-regions of Hell. Ugh. It just makes me so upset..the idea that someone could lead a useful life, raise kids, have a job, etc. and then, when you're old, some people decide you're too difficult to deal with and they load you up on antipsychotics (chemical straight jakcets) to make you more docile. Its unfair, and its immoral.
poster:med_empowered
thread:584836
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20051203/msgs/585095.html