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Posted: May 5th, 2020
Discuss the most commonly prescribed medications for psychiatric disorders, such as antidepressants, antipsychotics, anxiolytics, and mood stabilizers.
What are their indications, mechanisms of action, side effects, and interactions?
How can nurses educate patients about their medications and monitor their adherence and response to treatment?
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Psychiatric medications play a crucial role in the treatment of various mental health disorders. Here’s an overview of commonly prescribed medications for psychiatric disorders, including their indications, mechanisms of action, side effects, interactions, and how nurses can educate patients and monitor their adherence and response to treatment.
Antidepressants:
Indications: Major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Mechanisms of action: Increase the levels of neurotransmitters like serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine in the brain to alleviate depressive symptoms.
Common side effects: Nausea, headache, dizziness, sexual dysfunction, weight changes, sleep disturbances.
Interactions: Can interact with other medications, such as monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) and certain pain medications, leading to serotonin syndrome or other adverse effects.
Nursing education: Nurses can educate patients about the expected benefits, potential side effects, and the importance of consistent medication use. They can provide information on managing side effects, adherence strategies, and the timeline for response to treatment. Regular monitoring and follow-up are essential to evaluate the patient’s response and adjust the treatment plan as needed.
Antipsychotics:
Indications: Schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, psychotic symptoms associated with other conditions.
Mechanisms of action: Block dopamine receptors in the brain, reducing excessive dopamine activity and alleviating psychosis.
Common side effects: Sedation, weight gain, metabolic changes, extrapyramidal symptoms (such as tremors or stiffness), dry mouth.
Interactions: May interact with other medications, including certain antibiotics and antifungals, leading to increased or decreased blood levels of antipsychotics.
Nursing education: Nurses can educate patients about the importance of medication adherence, potential side effects, and strategies to manage them. They can monitor and assess for side effects, conduct regular metabolic monitoring, and collaborate with the healthcare team to address any adverse effects promptly.
Anxiolytics (Anti-anxiety medications):
Indications: Generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder.
Mechanisms of action: Enhance the effect of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), an inhibitory neurotransmitter, to reduce anxiety symptoms.
Common side effects: Sedation, drowsiness, dizziness, confusion, memory impairment.
Interactions: Can interact with other medications that cause sedation, such as opioids or alcohol, intensifying central nervous system depression.
Nursing education: Nurses can educate patients about the potential for sedation and impairment of cognitive function, and advise against activities that require alertness until they understand how the medication affects them. They can emphasize the importance of not abruptly discontinuing the medication and work with patients to develop coping strategies and non-pharmacological interventions for anxiety management.
Mood stabilizers:
Indications: Bipolar disorder, mood stabilization in certain cases of major depressive disorder.
Mechanisms of action: Various mechanisms depending on the specific medication. For example, lithium is thought to influence neurotransmitter balance, while certain anticonvulsants modulate sodium and calcium channels.
Common side effects: GI disturbances, tremor, weight changes, cognitive impairment (with certain anticonvulsants).
Interactions: Can interact with other medications, such as diuretics or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), affecting blood levels and potentially leading to toxicity.
Nursing education: Nurses can educate patients about the importance of routine blood level monitoring (e.g., for lithium), potential side effects, and strategies for managing them
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