Chris Aiken, MD

Prescription CBD Is Available, But Are We Ready to Use It?

January 1, 2019

Chris Aiken, MD Editor-in-Chief of The Carlat Psychiatry Report. 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.

Your patient comes in with a new medication on his list: CBD oil. He started taking it for anxiety and wants to know if it’s safe. You hedge, explaining that there is limited information available on unregulated products, but the patient is persistent. He says CBD oil is available as a prescription, and wonders if you could write one for it.

Wellbutrin Augmentation: When Does It Work?

January 1, 2019

Chris Aiken, MD

Chris Aiken, MD Editor-in-Chief of The Carlat Psychiatry Report. 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.

Dear Dr. Aiken: In the July/August 2018 issue, you wrote that bupropion (Wellbutrin) augmentation does not work in treatment-resistant depression (TRD). So why do we see it work so often in practice?

Brexanolone: A New Treatment for Postpartum Depression

January 1, 2019

Chris Aiken, MD

Chris Aiken, MD Editor-in-Chief of The Carlat Psychiatry Report. 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.

There is a need for rapid treatment in postpartum depression, as each month of this potentially severe condition can take a toll on infant development. That is why brexanolone (Zulresso), which was recently fast-tracked for approval by the FDA, is causing such a splash.

New Stimulants: From Remixed Amphetamines to Bedtime Ritalin

November 1, 2018

Chris Aiken, MD

Chris Aiken, MD Editor-in-Chief of The Carlat Psychiatry Report. 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.

You may have noticed that a confusing array of new stimulants has been approved in the last few years. Since 2012, there have been five new amphetamines and two new methylphenidates. What are these preparations? Are any of them worth prescribing to your patients?

Harnessing Beneficial Drug Interactions

November 1, 2018

Rehan Aziz, MD and Chris Aiken, MD

Rehan Aziz, MD Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Neurology at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson School of Medicine. Dr. Aziz has disclosed that they have no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity. Chris Aiken, MD Editor-in-Chief, The Carlat Psychiatry Report. Dr. Aiken has disclosed that they have no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

It’s nice when we can get our patients better with a single medication, but that’s not always possible. Sometimes the right combination of meds can do the trick, but studies of polypharmacy are scarce. In this article we dig through that research, small and limited as it is, to highlight a few useful combinations where the drug interaction can benefit your patient.

Ask the Editor: Which Antipsychotic Is Best When Patients Complain of Akathisia?

November 1, 2018

Chris Aiken, MD

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

Akathisia is a sensation of inner restlessness so unpleasant that it independently elevates the risk of suicide. Among atypicals, quetiapine (Seroquel) has the lowest risk of akathisia, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to take.

Probiotics for Bipolar Disorder

November 1, 2018

Adam Strassberg, MD and Chris Aiken, MD

Adam Strassberg, MD Chris Aiken, MD Drs. Strassberg and Aiken have disclosed that they have no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Probiotics, the so-called “good” bacteria in the gut flora, have become popular as a natural treatment for various disorders. They are taken as capsules or through food sources like yogurt, vinegar, and fermented foods.

New Approvals for TMS

November 1, 2018

Talia Puzantian, PharmD, BCPP and Chris Aiken, MD

Talia Puzantian, PharmD, BCPP Chris Aiken, MD Drs. Puzantian and Aiken have disclosed that they have no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

We know that transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) works for treatment-resistant depression (TRD), but one disadvantage is the length of the treatment sessions.

Benzodiazepines: New Risks for an Old Drug

September 1, 2018

Chris Aiken, MD

Chris Aiken, MD Editor-in-Chief of The Carlat Psychiatry Report 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.

In the May 2018 issue of TCPR, we wrote about using benzodiazepines for anxiety and other disorders, and we got some reader feedback that we did not provide a thorough enough review of medication risks. So, in a follow-up article this month, I will focus on two groups where benzos pose the greatest risks: opioid users and the elderly.

Ask the Editor

September 1, 2018

Chris Aiken, MD

Chris Aiken, MD Editor-in-Chief of The Carlat Psychiatry Report 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.

Dear Dr. Aiken: Can you tell us more about hyponatremia? Which medications can cause hyponatremia, who’s at risk, and how we should manage this condition?