TCPR: Are there particular kinds of questions that we should be asking elderly patients to diagnose depression?

Dr. Ellison: Yes, and many of these questions are on the Geriatric Depression Scale, which is an excellent 15 item scale that is in the public domain [Ed. Note: This scale is easily accessed by doing a Google search; one site allowing you to score it online is http://www.stanford.edu/~yesavage/Testing.htm]. It asks questions like: “Have you dropped many of your activities and interests? Do you feel like your life is empty? Do you feel worthless? Do you feel that most people are better off than you are?” So you can see that the approach is somewhat different than the DSM-IV where you are asking about such neurovegetative symptoms as sleep and appetite, both of which are frequently disturbed in the elderly for reasons other than depression.

TCPR: What is there to say about specific treatment for late-life depression?

Dr. Ellison: The first thing to clarify is that antidepressants do, indeed, work in the elderly. There are over 70 randomized controlled trials of the pharmacotherapy of geriatric depression, and the average response rate to medication is 50-65% compared to a 25-30% placebo response. Remission rates are 30-40% for drug vs. 15% for placebo. So, in terms of a number-needed-to-treat, that would be 4-7. 

TCPR: So medications do work. Which ones should we choose?

Dr. Ellison: I’ll tell you my opinion about this. Let’s go through the potential differences between antidepressants and how these apply to treating elders. All the antidepressants have been shown to be efficacious, so if we try to decide on the basis of efficacy we wouldn’t be able to make a choice. Likewise, if we go on the basis of FDA indication, this doesn’t help us because the only drug that is FDA-approved for late-life depression is Prozac (fluoxetine), which hasn’t been convincingly shown superior to other antidepressants in this role. The next factor to consider is cost, because even though there is prescription coverage under Medicare Part D, nonetheless as costs go up the patient is pushed into the expensive so-called “donut hole.”

TCPR: Can you explain what the Part D donut hole is, exactly?

Dr. Ellison: With Medicare Part D there is an upfront deductible after which most of the cost of the medication is covered by Medicare up to a limit. Beyond that limit, the patient becomes fully responsible for the cost, until the cost reaches a certain point, and then catastrophic coverage kicks in. The more costly medications push the patient up more quickly to that donut hole where they become fully financially responsible. The point is, we should always go with less expensive generic medications initially, and there are excellent generics available. The only ones that are not generic would be Lexapro, Paxil CR, Effexor XR, Cymbalta, and Emsam, and there are generics for everything else.

TCPR: What other factors should we consider?

Dr. Ellison: Then the next factor is side effects. And a meta-analysis comparing the tricyclics to the newer antidepressants came up with the conclusion – no big surprise – that the newer drugs are a little bit more tolerable, but actually not as much more tolerable as you might have thought. To some extent, there is a different domain of side effects. With the tricyclics you experience cardiac complications, dry mouth, constipation, drowsiness, dizziness, lethargy, but with the new drugs there is sexual dysfunction, gastrointestinal symptoms and sleep disturbance. And the elderly can have sleep disturbances anyway, so sometimes that is an issue. 

TCPR: What about issues of pharmacokinetics?

Dr. Ellison: That’s crucial, especially drug-drug interactions. The average patient at age 65 is on five prescribed medications and the average patient at age 75 is on eight prescribed medications.

TCPR: So what’s the bottom line?

Dr. Ellison: The bottom line is that if you look at all of the available antidepressants you could say that sertraline (Zoloft) and citalopram (Celexa) are available generically, have an appropriate amount of evidence of tolerability and efficacy in the elderly; their half-life is right for once-a-day dosing; they are not likely to produce discontinuation symptoms; their drug-drug interactions are minimal; and they don’t produce anticholinergic effects or postural hypotension.

TCPR: So your favorites are sertraline and citalopram. Are there any others that you consider in this population?

Dr. Ellison: There are four others that I often use. I use nortriptyline because with monitoring of the blood level it can be dosed in such a way that it is very tolerable and effective. Venlafaxine (Effexor) is an alternative that has dual neurotransmitter effects. Bupropion (Wellbutrin), a more stimulating drug, may be helpful with some patients who present with apathy. Finally, mirtazapine (Remeron) may be useful in patients with significant anxiety, insomnia and anorexia.