Antidepressant Medications Flashcards
What is the first-line class of antidepressants? How effective are they?
SSRI’s - Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors
70% effective
What are potential risks of SSSRI’s?
CYP450 liver enzyme elevations that could lead to liver injury:
- Rare (affects only about 10% of patients taking SSRI’s)
- More common among those with comorbidities
Name the older/earlier generation and less safe SSRI antidepressants and their respective traits.
Fluoxetine (Prozac):
- most stimulating
Paroxetine (Paxil):
- sedating
Fluvoxamine (Luvox):
- most sedating
- greatest weight loss
- GI side effects
Name the newer/later generation and safer SSRI antidepressants and their respective traits.
Sertraline (Zoloft):
- stimulating
Citalopram (Celexa)
Escitalopram (Lexapro)
***All have lower risk of CYP450 liver enzyme effects
What are the safest or highest risk antidepressants in pregnancy and breastfeeding?
Pregnancy -
- Escitalopram (Lexapro): safest
- Sertraline (Zoloft): next safest
- High Risk:
- Fluoxetine (Prozac)
- Paroxetine (Paxil)
Breastfeeding -
- There are generally low levels in breast milk
- Highest Risk:
- Citalopram (Celexa)
What are the most common side effects of SSRI antidepressants?
- Diarrhea
- Nausea and vomiting
- Sexual dysfunction
- Somnolence
- Weight gain
How can side effects from SSRI antidepressants be minimized?
Start low, go slow (start with low dose, make increases slowly)
- especially with elderly patients!!
In what timeframes should patients expect to see improvement and relief from depression signs and symptoms when taking SSRI’s? Specify by age groups of young-middle adults and older adults.
Young -middle adults:
- Improvement in 2 - 4 weeks
- Relief in 6 - 12 weeks
Older adults:
- Improvement in 4 - 6 weeks
- Relief in 12 - 16 weeks
Describe response rates to initial depression treatment with SSRI’s.
- 70% respond to first line SSRI’s
- 25% respond to a second medication
- There is no difference in switching:
- between drugs in the same class
- to a different class - Consider psych referral if no response
Name the signs and symptoms of abrupt SSRI withdrawal.
- Anxiety
- Dizziness
- Insomnia
- Flu-like symptoms
When are risks of withdrawal from any/all psych meds more likely?
- Med has been taken for >6 weeks
- Med has been stopped abruptly
- Dose has been rapidly reduced
What are important factors in the consideration of antidepressant discontinuation?
- Timeframe: about 6 - 9 months after recovery
- Patient history and preference
- Consider psych referral for the discontinuation process
What SSRI has the highest risk of withdrawal symptoms? The lowest risk?
Highest: Paroxetine (Paxil)
- 21 hour half-life
- 7% rate of withdrawal symptoms
Lowest: Fluoxetine (Prozac)
- 6 day half-life
What is the cause of serotonin syndrome?
Excess serotonin:
- from 1+ medications
- most common culprits:
- SSRI’s
- SNRI’s
Describe the non-emergent signs and symptoms of serotonin syndrome.
- BP changes - Restlessness
- Increased HR - Agitation
- Tremors - Nausea and vomiting
- Confusion - Temperature changes
- Headaches - Shivering
*Hint: BITCH RANTS
What are the severe symptoms of serotonin syndrome that require referral to ER/911?
- High fever
- Irregular HR
- Seizures
- Syncope
*Hint: HISS
How should serotonin syndrome be managed?
- Stop the SSRI/SNRI (or other med)
- Consider cyproheptadine (Periactin) to block serotonin production
Name the dual-action antidepressant classes.
SNRI’s: Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors
NDRI’s: Norepinephrine-Dopamine Reuptake Inhibitors
Name the SNRI antidepressants.
- Duloxetine (Cymbalta): ***Doesn’t raise BP!!!
- Venlafaxine (Effexor)
- Desvenlafaxine (Pristiq): also for hot flashes per FDA
- Milnacipran (Savella)
- Levomilnacipran (Fetzima)