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Why would a doctor give an 87 year old frail woman who weighs 80 lbs. Ritalin in the nursing home ?
Optional Information: Person's Gender: Female Person's Age: 86 Already Tried: She was in hospital for two weeks
The views expressed by me are for educational purposes only and do not establish a doctor patient relationship.HelloThanks for your question.That is indeed puzzling. At her age ritalin will cause more harm than good. Ritalin is a psycho stimulant mainly used for attention deficit disorder.This can also be used for excess daytime drowsiness if no other medical cause can be found.At her condition, ritalin can cause more weight loss. Ritalin also increases the risk of heart attack. Hence, this decision needs to be reconsidered. Best wishes,
Thank you for your question:I would have to disagree with the other expert. Without some additional detail, it is NOT possible (or appropriate) to suggest that the Ritalin is not appropriate.There are a number of appropriate uses for Ritalin in elderly patients. If you can provide some more details about her history, I may be able to offer some more insight.
Here are some studies suggesting possible appropriate uses for Ritalin (methylphenidate) in elderly patients.
For cancer-related fatigue
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18695134
Management of apathy in dementia
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20736422
Depression and fatigue
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22208450
Experience: Emergency Medicine and Family Practice for over 26 years