dear K, it is true that there is no one med or combination meds that work for any one person. often is is trial and error to get it correct and balanced. my mil suffers from depression and anxiety. she also had parkinson and a few other problems so takes an assortment of other meds. only the doc and a loved one observing side effects can find the right combination. we have had good luck with the combination of celexa, for depression and xanax for anxiety. this comes differnent strengths and the doc started with the lower dose to minimize sedation. both her depression and anxiety leels have improved dramatically. again, it took several tries to get things level so whatever, be ready to have to back off and try again. there is no magic answer. and keep in mind the doc shoud be very experienced in caring for the elderly. their systems react differently than younger bodies to meds. take care and good luck.

Always check with a doctor, first.
My mom is on celexa she's doing great on it.
At one point she got restless and weird. From my helpful moderator (former TSK!) I learned it could also be a urinary tract infection (look it up on search as UTI). I bought the self test at walgreens and it was not that. Talked to the doc and we upped the dosage. She bounced right back to where she was.
It is sooo difficult to watch anyone suffer like that-- see or talk to the doc, it's ok to hound him, you are mom's advocate and it's a responsibility that goes with the job.

My fiance is bi-polar and has anxiety, so we've ben through LOTS of anti-ds! What might be the right drug for one person might be wrong for someone else.
I had success with Paxil during a nervous breakdown in university, but he found it made him sick.
One of my cousins as well as my fiance are very happy with Celexa. It doesn't rob them of their energy or make them drowsy like some medications do, and it has fewer sexual side affects (I don't know how important that is to your mom, though!).

I agree with Torp hun the Remeron is great to soothe them I had my MIL on it for about 8 months here and it did wonders for her but like Torp it doesnt do good long term I believe we had to up the dosage after 2 months to 15mg's as the body gets used to it The maximum mg's for that particular drug is 30mg's by the 6th month she was taking the max.
Seroquel is what my MIL is on now and it took a bit to get her to the right dose as well as trying other medications with it like Namenda at first Ativan was next and they stuck with that for her.
The problem is that each person is different when it comes to these medications if your mom is having much more trouble I would ask to get her in for an in hospital evaluation so they can adjust/change her meds in a controlled setting.

Has he tried the antidepressant Remeron? Our LO was really groggy for the first week or so, but levelled off after that.

Really, the only reason she was switched from this drug a year later is that it quit working as well so we needed something a bit stronger for her. The side effects were part of the reason the doctor prescribed it: mild help to sleep at night and to boost her appetite. But the bottom line was that she needed an antidepressant and anxiety medication, and xanax was too sedating.