Study: Many Seniors Stop Taking Antidepressants Because of Side Effects

More than half of seniors who are first-time antidepressant takers begin taking the drugs while they are on other contraindicated drugs, leading to side effects that cause a quarter of them to stop taking the antidepressants, according to a new study published in The American Journal of General Psychiatry.

The study's authors analyzed information from Medicare claims to determine that 39,000 seniors started taking antidepressants between 2001 and 2006. Of those, 25% were taking other drugs that could have caused major drug interactions and 36% were taking other drugs that could cause moderate interactions.

To learn more, click here.