Is nefazodone a satisfactory antidepressant for the elderly?
No special problems were encountered when nefazodone was studied in a group of 500 people over the age of 65 with depression. As with most drugs, when administered to the elderly, it is useful to start low and go slow. • How is treatment with nefazodone initiated? Most psychiatrists start people with depression on 50 mg of nefazodone twice a day. At intervals of about one week, the dose can be increased by 100 mg per day. When nefazodone first was released the usual starting dose for adults was 100 mg twice a day. As many people found this dose to be too high, it has been replaced by a lower initial dose. When nefazodone is given to elderly patients the starting dose is usually 50 mg twice a day. • What is the usual final dose of nefazodone? While doses up to 600 mg per day are approved by the FDA, some severely depressed patients have been treated with higher doses. Most depressed people respond to doses under 600 mg per day. • How long does it take nefazodone to relieve depression? W
