Elderly patients may need to take lower doses of anti-anxiety medications such as benzodiazepines, because they are more sensitive to the effects of these drugs on the central nervous system. In addition, intravenous administration of benzodiazepines is more likely to result in apnea (temporary absence of breathing), hypotension (abnormally low blood pressure), bradycardia (slowness of heart rate) and cardiac arrest. There is a strong association between the use of benzodiazepines and hip fractures among the elderly because these medications can have a detrimental effect on cognitive functioning.
Elderly patients may also be more sensitive to the side effects of medications such as antihistamines and clonidine. The effect of tiagabine on elderly patients is largely unstudied.