“Is anti-anxiety medicine safe for seniors?”

It depends on what you mean by anxiety medications. The benzodiazepines such as Xanax, Ativan, Klonopin or Valium should ideally be avoided due to high risk of falls, accidents and cognitive impairment. First line medication treatment would be a serotonin antidepressant such as Zoloft or lexapro if medication is necessary. Ashok J Bharucha, MD, MA Phone: 844-647-1455 FAX: 877-511-8663 In the event of an emergency, email is not an appropriate form of communication. If you are in a crisis, please call 911 or proceed to your nearest emergency room. All pertinent practice policies are also available

Yes we prefer using SSRIs like escitalopram ,citalopram, sertraline, and others in this class.at times we may use benzodiazepines ( like alprazolam or lorazepam) until the SSRIS start to work ir to augment the drug. Treatment if anxiety/ depression in the elderly is both safe and effective. Theresa M. Redling DO, FACP Chief, Geriatric Health Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center Director, Maida Geriatric Institute Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School

Yes, all anti-anxiety meds are safe for seniors if you start with a low dose and increase slowly. Avoid benzodiazepines, those are dangerous.