Why does my 84 year old mom cry all the time?

Based on what I have seen, a lot of dementia patients cry for no apparent reason. I'm not sure there is always a treatment that helps. I would continue to try to bring her relief though, because mental and emotional pain are just as bad as physical pain, imo. If her doctor is not having success, I might consult with a geriatric psychiatrist. If my LO didn't take Cymbalta, she would cry most of the time. As soon as this medication got into her system, the crying was greatly reduced. I'd ask about meds for anxiety and not just depression. A psychiatrist would be the most equipped to handle this, imo.

This is pretty off the wall, but I remember a time when something was causing tears in my eyes almost constantly. (Infection? Allergy? I can't remember.) I remember observing that if I have tears in my eyes I feel sad, even when there is no cause for the sadness. Could your Mom possibly have a medical reason for tears in her eyes?

She only takes meds for blood pressure, thyroid, and a blood thinner. Her thyroid is good. We've tried many anti-depressants. She is stimulated because my grandchildren are with us Thursday through Sunday. She has age related dementia.

I agree with having a medical evaluation, and I also think AliBoBali's suggestions should be considered. Even if providing more stimulation doesn't work it certainly isn't going to harm her.

The doc explained to us that virtually all dementia patients need antidepressants because their brain is shrinking. They need SSRIs to offset this.

I'd have her evaluated to see what might be causing her sadness. Does she suffer with depression, anxiety, dementia, etc? You say that meds don't help, but, sometimes, it may take a while to find the right medication, dosage, combination of meds, etc. I'd explore it with her doctor.

My grandmother was like this for many, many years. Then, the house became more lively. There were more people to interact with and constantly engaging her. She stopped being sad.

I wonder if elders don't have dopamine depression caused by too little external stimulus. If you can engage them, repeatedly, it would improve, perhaps. Things like favorite shows, favorite music, more visitors, conversation, trips out to anywhere, future plans to look forward to, trying something new -- these increase dopamine.   

The anti-depressant meds are for serotonin increase, not dopamine.

I apologize if this comment sounds "out there" and far fetched. It's a thought I've had many times just due to personal experience and observation. Does your mom drink coffee? Does her sadness get better after a cup of coffee or tea? CNS stimulants like caffeine increase dopamine and I think that's what's lacking in some elders, what causes the depression when an SSRI is being taken, it's low dopamine.

A medication to consider would be a very small dose of dextroamphetamine. It can cause mood swings. But honestly, if I were 84 and not getting relief from SSRIs/SNRIs, a small dose of a DNRA (stimulants, amphetamines) would be very welcome to at least try.

What kind of medication is she taking?