A long-term patient with depression finds that his current m…
A long-term patient with depression finds that his current medication regimen is no longer sufficient to relieve his symptoms. He is currently on fluoxetine, which worked well until recently. Given the patient’s prior failure with many other antidepressants, his psychiatrist decides to switch him to an MAOI. However, because of his current use of fluoxetine, the physician must first discontinue its use to prevent serotonin syndrome. For how long should a patient stop use of fluoxetine (or other SSRIs) before beginning treatment with an MAOI?
Read DetailsA 36-year-old woman with a history of bipolar disorder that…
A 36-year-old woman with a history of bipolar disorder that has been managed with lithium for years presents because she has been feeling more depressed than usual lately and wants to investigate treatment options. During the examination, she reported that she has been feeling down, is fatigued, has trouble with her mental focus, and has not been eating much lately but has still gained almost 20 lbs in the past 6 months. Her vitals are normal, except for a heart rate of 52 bpm. Labwork reveals a moderately elevated thyroid-stimulating hormone level of 10.2 uIU/mL. What is the next step in her treatment?
Read DetailsA 40-year-old woman in a locked inpatient psychiatric unit d…
A 40-year-old woman in a locked inpatient psychiatric unit demonstrates pressured speech and flight of ideas. She appears restless and irritable and has not slept in 4 days. She has had multiple similar episodes throughout her life. She is currently on lithium. She is married and does not use birth control. Her medical history is positive for class 2 obesity and hyperlipidemia. Given the likely diagnosis, which of the following medications is best to treat the patient’s condition?
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