Deprescribing Anti-Anxiety Medications in Older Adults

Topics: anticonvulsants | antihistamines | Antipsychotics | Anxiety | Benzodiazepines | Buspirone | Deprescribing | EMPOWER trial | gabapentin | Mirtazapine | SNRIs | SSRIs | taper | Trazodone | Z-drugs

Our inclination may be to “not rock the boat” when a patient is stable and not misusing prescribed medication. However, tapering anti-anxiety medications in older adults is often a good idea when considering the risks of falls, sedation, and accidents. Which meds to taper? The risks of anti-anxiety medications increase with age. Here are some of t

Buspirone: Still Effective After All These Years?

Topics: Anxiety | Anxiety Disorder | Benzodiazepines | Buspirone | GAD | Generalized Anxiety Disorder | Lavender | Medication | Melatonin | Pharmacology | Pregnancy | Psychopharmacology | Silexan

When buspirone was released in 1986, it was advertised as providing “a different kind of calm.” Unfortunately, physicians and their patients weren’t ready to accept the kind of calm that required several weeks to take effect, when punchier, quicker benzos were the standard route to tranquility. Although buspirone is FDA approved for generalized an