Psychopharmacology - Articles - Page 4

CLINICAL UPDATE

How to Use Lamotrigine

January 1, 2021

Chris Aiken, MD. Editor-in-Chief of TCPR. Practicing psychiatrist, Winston-Salem, NC. Dr. Aiken has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Lamotrigine is approved for the prevention of bipolar episodes, but Dr. Aiken explains why it may also treat active bipolar depression. This mood stabilizer is among the most tolerable in its class, and has additional benefits in OCD, borderline personality disorder, and depersonalization disorder.

How to Select an SSRI

November 12, 2020

Chris Aiken, MD.

Chris Aiken, MD. Editor-in-Chief of TCPR. Practicing psychiatrist, Winston-Salem, NC. Dr. Aiken has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

After digging through 3 decades of research, we can tell you this: There is no such thing as “the best” SSRI. But there are some important differences between them, and this article will show you how to find the right one for your patient.

Keeping Up With Trintellix

October 6, 2020

Michael Posternak, MD.

Michael Posternak, MD. Psychiatrist in private practice, Boston, MA. Dr. Posternak has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Not satisfied with its claim to improve cognitive features of depression, Trintellix has ventured into new therapeutic arenas. Sometimes with success, sometimes with failure, we review where this novel antidepressant stands in schizophrenia, anxiety, cognitive decline, ADHD, sexual dysfunction, and binge eating disorder.

Mood Stabilizers: What You Don’t Know Can Hurt Them

October 6, 2020

Nicholas Rosenlicht, MD.

Nicholas Rosenlicht, MD. Dr. Rosenlicht has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

There are many mood stabilizers to choose from, but which ones are the best tolerated? This meta-analysis looks at how they stack up in terms of weight gain, sedation, and overall discontinuation.

Guanfacine ER for Adults With ADHD?

October 6, 2020

Jesse Koskey, MD.

Jesse Koskey, MD. Dr. Koskey has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Children and adults respond differently to medications for ADHD. This first-of-its-kind trial tested out the pediatric-approved guanfacine ER (Intuniv) in adult ADHD.

Who Should Get Lithium?

September 3, 2020

Janusz Rybakowski, MD, PhD

Janusz Rybakowski, MD, PhD

Janusz Rybakowski is a pioneer in lithium research who has authored over 500 articles on clinical psychiatry. He is a professor of psychiatry at Poznan University in Poland, former chairman of psychiatry at the Medical Academy Bydgoszcz, and author of an upcoming textbook on lithium. Dr. Rybakowski has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Some patients respond so well to lithium that they rarely need other interventions. Janusz Rybakowski sums up what we know about the optimal lithium responder, how to use this underutilized medication, and what lithium’s antiviral properties mean in the era of COVID-19.

RESEARCH UPDATE

Two Augmentation Strategies Compared in Bipolar I

September 3, 2020

Richard Moldawsky, MD

Richard J. Moldawsky, MD. Dr. Moldawsky has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Carbamazepine or valproic acid? Both have been used to augment lithium for decades, but which one works best? A new trial tests them head-to-head.

Tips on Choosing an Antipsychotic for Schizophrenia

August 26, 2020

Which antipsychotics should we consider selecting as the first-line and second-line treatments, and what should we base this decision on? Dr. Aziz addresses this in a past article from The Carlat Psychiatry Report. Here’s some of his advice:Process: Tolerability instead of efficacy should be considered when selecting a first-line treatment.

CLINICAL Q&A

The Modafinils in Bipolar Depression

June 10, 2020

Chris Aiken, MD.

Chris Aiken, MD. Editor-in-Chief of TCPR. Practicing psychiatrist, Winston-Salem, NC. Dr. Aiken has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Provigil and Nuvigil, the modafinils, may not work for full depressive episodes, but they do something else in bipolar disorder that’s important to patients. This article explores their cognitive effects, as well as their potential to cause addiction and mania.

Trazodone: The Forgotten Antidepressant

May 7, 2020

Eugene Rubin, MD

Eugene Rubin, MD Private practice, Bingham Farms, MI. Dr. Rubin has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Trazodone is rarely used as an antidepressant, and that’s a missed opportunity. It lacks the weight gain, sleep disruption, and sexual side effects that so many antidepressants cause. In this article are two important dosing tips that can make it work better.