Tag archives for Pharmacotherapy
The Elderly: Insomnia, Depression, and Suicide Risk. Part 3
Posted By Kelly On Wednesday, December 22nd 2010 under: Disorders Tags: Depression, Elderly, Insomnia, Pharmacotherapy, Suicide
General Principles of Pharmacologic Intervention
A thorough history, physical examination, and basic laboratory studies are important to fully evaluate the patient and rule out medical and medication-related causes of insomnia and depression. Additionally, the selection of the appropriate antidepressant medication (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants , monoamine oxidase inhibitors, or atypical antidepressants), adequate dosages, and a sufficient trial period are imperative in the treatment of depression in the elderly. ... Read More
Depression In The Elderly: Treatment Of Depression
Posted By Kelly On Tuesday, December 22nd 2009 under: Depression Tags: Depression, Elderly, Pharmacotherapy, Psychiatric Illnesses, Psychiatric treatment, Psychopharmacology
Treatment of depressive disorders may involve psychopharmacology, psychotherapy, or both. Studies have shown that for mild depression, psychotherapy was more effective than placebo. For major depressive disorder (illness), psychopharmacologic treatment was more effective than psychotherapy alone. The most effective treatment with better long-term outcomes has been achieved with psychopharmacologic treatment combined with psychotherapy.
Treatment of a depressive disorder must begin with a comprehensive evaluation ... Read More
Antidepressants in Canada
Posted By Kelly On Monday, November 23rd 2009 under: Antidepressants Tags: Antidepressant, Depression, Medications, Pharmacotherapy, Treatment
Since the introduction of tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) and the monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) in the 1950s, the search for more effective antidepressants with fewer unwanted actions has been intense.
TCA/MAOIs were fortuitously discovered at a time when psychoanalytical and psychological theories of the etiology of depression reigned supreme in North America. The possibility that depressive disorders are 'brain' diseases with a pathophysiological basis was viewed with skepticism, and these medicines were ... Read More
Drug Therapy: Decision Making Guide
Posted By Kelly On Saturday, November 21st 2009 under: Book review Tags: Drugs, Medications, Pharmacotherapy, Treatment
Edited by James McCormack, Glen Brown, Marc Levine, Robert Rangno and John Ruedy. 550 pp.
W.B. Saunders Company/Harcourt Brace & Company, Philadelphia; W.B. Saunders Canada, Toronto. 1996
ISBN 0-7216-4215-2
This textbook combines a disease-oriented and a drug-specific approach to therapeutics. It is intended to guide prescribers in initiating or altering drug therapy, and it incorporates issues concerning risk, benefit, quality of life and cost-effectiveness. Although the book appears to be intended for primary ... Read More
Depression and Chronic Pain: Breaking the Cycle
Posted By Kelly On Friday, November 13th 2009 under: Disorders Tags: Depression, Mental Disorder, Mental health, Pharmacotherapy
Chronic Pain. Depression. They are regarded as the one-two punch that — even as we refine and improve medical and pharmaceutical technology — keeps millions of Americans out of work and on their backs. Indeed, pain and depression might be considered the Bonnie and Clyde of misery—so rarely is one without the other.
Ariadne Montare, 33, a Manhattan lawyer, has battled the combination for over a year-ever since she was diagnosed ... Read More
Where Does Remeron Fit in Current Antidepressant Therapy?
Posted By Kelly On Thursday, November 12th 2009 under: Remeron (Mirtazapine) Tags: Antidepressant, Drugs, Pharmacotherapy, Treatment
Mirtazapine (Remeron / Organon) was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1996 for the treatment of depression. Structurally unrelated to any antidepressants currently available in the United States, it is a tetracyclic piperazinoazepine and is an analog of mianserin (available outside the U.S.).
Mechanism of Action Mirtazapine (Remeron) appears to exert its antidepressant effect in a unique way. It blocks central presynaptic alpha2-adrenergic receptors, which results in ... Read More
SSRIs and Treatment of Panic Disorder. Part 2
Posted By Kelly On Monday, November 9th 2009 under: Disorders Tags: Drugs, Mental Disorder, Panic, Pharmacotherapy, Treatment
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors
Most recently, the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have provided an alternative to the older pharmacologic treatments. Although paroxetine and, very recently, sertraline have FDA-approved indications for the treatment of panic disorder, a significant body of literature exists, as well, for fluvoxamine and, to a lesser extent, fluoxetine. Sheehan and Harnett-Sheehan have comprehensively reviewed the role of SSRIs and Jefferson has reviewed the antidepressants in general in ... Read More
SSRIs and Treatment of Panic Disorder. Part 1
Posted By Kelly On Monday, November 9th 2009 under: Disorders Tags: Medications, Mental Disorder, Panic, Pharmacotherapy, Treatment
As many as 70% of patients with panic disorder fulfill the diagnostic criteria for major depression at some point in their lives.
Epidemiology and Clinical Features
Panic disorder is one of the primary anxiety disorders described in the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) of the American Psychiatric Association. It is a chronic disorder with a lifetime prevalence estimated to be between 1.5% and 3.5% and ... Read More
Acute Agitation and Aggression in Psychiatric Illnesses. Part 10. Treatment
Posted By Kelly On Monday, November 9th 2009 under: Disorders Tags: Medications, Mental health, Pharmacotherapy, Psychiatric Illnesses, Treatment
Dosing and Choice of Dosage Form
Table 4 describes dosing schedules for benzodiazepine and antipsychotics used to treat agitation and aggression. Oral administration of any of the medications is preferred when the patient is cooperative, except in cases of acute risk of self-harm or danger to others. The agitated individual should first be given the opportunity to take their medication by mouth. Giving the patient a choice also offers a ... Read More
Acute Agitation and Aggression in Psychiatric Illnesses. Part 9. Treatment
Posted By Kelly On Monday, November 9th 2009 under: Disorders Tags: Medications, Mental health, Pharmacotherapy, Psychiatric Illnesses, Treatment
Atypical Antipsychotics vs. Typical Antipsychotics: Typical antipsychotics, particularly haloperidol, are still the most commonly used agents for treating agitation and aggression because of clinician comfort and experience with their use. Haloperidol is efficacious and can be given orally as a solution or tablet, IM or IV. Cardiovascular concerns are limited except in the critically ill population and with the IV route. However, the risk of dystonia makes haloperidol a ... Read More