Anticoagulants

Question 1

Disadvantages of warfarin

Answer 1

Delayed onset
Narrow therapeutic index
Unpredictable dose response
High bleeding rate
Drug to drug and drug food interactions
Problematic monitoring
Slow reversibility

Question 2

How do anticonvulsants work

Answer 2

Reducing high frequency neuronal firing by modifying activity of neurotransmitters
1. Increasing GABA activity (main inhibitory neurotransmitter)
2. Decreasing excitatory glutamate
Modifying activity of ion channels
1. Voltage gated sodium channels
2. Calcium channels