drugs Flashcards
clomipramine (Anafranil) and fluoxetine (PROZAC)/ short term vs long term serotonin regulation
tricyclic drug
-often effective in the treatment of OCD even though other tricyclic antidepressants are generally not very effective
because clomipramine has greater effects on the neurotransmitter serotonin, which is now strongly implicated in OCD
=long-term administration of clomipramine (or fluoxetine) causes a downregulation of certain serotonin receptors, further causing a functional decrease in the availability of serotonin = the immediate short-term effects of clomipramine or fluoxetine may be to increase serotonin levels (and exacerbate OCD symptoms too), the long-term effects are quite different: 6-12 WEEKS TO SEE IMPROVEMENT
Buspirone/ disorders it treats
effective, and it is neither sedating nor does it lead to physiological dependence. It also has greater effects on psychic anxiety than do the benzodiazepines. However, it may take 2 to 4 weeks to show results/ TREATS GAD
why do benzodiazepines work for anxiety?
increase GABA which is inhibitory
drugs for social anxiety
monamine oxidase inhibitors and SSRIS
alprazolam (Xanax) or clonazepam (Klonopin).
act very quickly (30–60 minutes) and so can be useful in acute situations of intense panic or anxiety.
cons: have side effects such as drowsiness and sedation, which can lead to impaired cognitive and motor performance/ with prolonged use, most people using moderate to high doses develop physiological dependence on the drug, which results in withdrawal symptoms when the drug is discontinued
NOT CONSIDERED A FIRST CHOICE TREATMENRT
SSRIs, tricyclics, and the serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors benefits and cons for panic disorder treatment
-major advantage is that they do not create physiological dependence in the way benzodiazepines can, and they also can alleviate any comorbid depressive symptoms or disorders
-takes about 4 weeks before they have any beneficial effects, so they are not useful in an acute situation where a person is having a panic attack.
cons: dry mouth, constipation, blurred vision with the tricyclics, and interference with sexual arousal with the SSRIs)
chlorpromazine,
found that chlorpromazine, a drug originally developed for completely different purposes, was very effective at rapidly reducing psychotic and manic symptoms. Several other researchers followed up with experimental studies of this drug, and it consistently showed an ability to effectively treat psychotic patients, and also to reduce episodes of violence among agitated or aggressive patients.
