TY  - JOUR
T1  - SHould benzodiazepines in an 87-year-old woman be tapered and discontinued?
AU  - Portnoi VA
Y1  - 1999/09/22
N1  - 10.1001/jama.282.12.1128
JO  - JAMA
SP  - 1128
EP  - 1128
VL  - 282
IS  - 12
N2  - 
To the Editor: A recent Clinical Crossroads1 presented an 87-year-old woman taking a benzodiazepine
for at least 15 years in addition to diphenhydramine hydrochloride as needed.
Dr Salzman suggested that the patient continue with this regimen because he
believed the patient experienced a continuous therapeutic effect. Salzman
acknowledged the detrimental effect of benzodiazepines on short- and long-term
memory in the elderly, but dismissed it based on data from his unpublished
findings that many patients accept the loss of "sharp memory" for a "day that
calms."

SN  - 0098-7484
M3  - doi: 10.1001/jama.282.12.1128
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.282.12.1128
ER  -