Pharmacological Treatments of Affective and Anxiety Disorders Flashcards
What are the classes of anti-depressants?
Tricyclics MAOIs SSRIs SNRIs Novel antidepressants
What are the side effects of tricyclics?
- Antihistaminic
- Anticholinergic: dry mouth, increased heart rate, light sensitivity
- Antiadrenergic
- QT prolongation
- Lethal in overdose
Do tertiary tricyclics have more or less side effects than normal tricyclics?
More side effects
What are examples of tertiary tricyclics?
Imipramine
Amitriptyline
Doxepin
Clomipramine
What is the action of secondary tricyclics?
Block noradrenaline
Do secondary tricyclics have more or less side effects than tertiary tricyclics?
Same but less severe
What are examples of secondary tricyclics?
Desipramine
Nortriptyline
What class of antidepressant is good for resistant depression?
MAOIs. Occasionally for treatment resistant depression and sleep disturbance.
What is the action of MAOIs?
Bind irreversibly to MAO, preventing inactivation of amines such as norepinephrine, dopamine and serotonin, leading to increased synaptic levels.
Main side effects of MAOIs?
Weight gain, dry mouth, sexual dysfunction, sedation, postural hypotension and sleep disturbance.
Cheese reaction: foods rich in tyramine or sympathomimetics
What class of antidepressant can treat both depression and anxiety?
SSRIs
What are the benefits of SSRIs?
Very little risk in overdose
What is the action of SSRIs?
Block presynaptic serotonin reuptake
Main side effects of SSRIs?
Anxiety, restlessness, nervousness, insomnia, fatigue, sedation, sexual dysfunction
What are examples of SSRIs?
Sertraline
Fluoxetine
Pros and cons of Sertraline?
Pros: Less sedating when compared to paroxetine, short half-life with a build-up of metabolites
Cons: Full stomach for max absorption, increased number of GI adverse reactions
Pros and cons of fluoxetine?
Pros: Long half-life so decreased incidence of discontinuation syndromes (non-compliant patients)
Cons: Long half-life so build-up active metabolite (hepatic illness), significant P450 interactions (polypharmacy), activation syndrome, mania.
What treats depression, anxiety and possibly neuropathic pain?
SNRIs
What is the action of SNRIs?
Inhibit serotonin and noradrenergic reuptake like TCAs, but without bad side effects
What are examples of SNRIs?
Venlafaxine
Duloxetine
Pros and cons of Venlafaxine?
Pros: Minimal drug interactions, a short half-life, fast renal clearance.
Cons: Increase diastolic BP, nausea, continuation syndrome and QT prolongation.
Pros and cons of Duloxetine?
Pros: physical symptoms of depression, less increase in BP.
Cons: Active ingredient not stable in stomach.
What is an example of novel antidepressants?
Mirtrazapine
Pros and cons of Mirtrazapine?
Pros: Good augmentation strategy to SSRIs, hypnotic at lower doses secondary to antihistaminic effects.
Cons: 20% increased serum cholesterol, sedation and weight gain at low doses.
Management of treatment resistant depression?
Antidepressant with
- Mirtazapine
- Atypical antipsychotic (quetiapine, olanzapine, aripiprazole)
- Lithium
- ECT
What class of drug do you use for bipolar, cyclothymia, schizoaffective disorder?
Mood stabiliser
First line for bipolar?
Lithium
Factors predicting positive response to lithium?
- Prior long term response or family member with good response
- Classic pure mania
- Mania follower by depression
What to check before starting patients on lithium?
U&E, TSH, pregnancy
Side effects of lithium
- Thyroid
- Interstitial renal fibrosis
- Polyuria/polydipsia
- Hair loss
- CNS symptoms (seizure, tremor)
- Acne
- GI distress
- Nonsignificant leukocytosis
What is mild lithium toxicity?
1.5-2, vomiting, diarrhoea, ataxia, dizziness, slurred speech, nystagmus
What is moderate lithium toxicity?
2-2.5 vomiting, diarrhoea, ataxia, dizziness, slurred speech, nystagmus
nausea.
What is severe lithium toxicity?
> 2.5 generalised convulsions, oliguria and renal failure
What are examples of anticonvulsants?
Valproic acid
Carbamazepine
Lamotrigine
Valproic acid: what to check and main side effects?
LFT, pregnancy
Side effects include thrombocytopaenia and platelet dysfunction, nausea, vomiting, weight gain, sedation, tremor, hair loss.
Carbamazepine: what to check and main side effects?
FBC, ECG
Rash, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, sedation, ataxia, confusion, AV conduction delays, aplastic anaemia and
agranulocytosis
Lamotrigine: what to check and main side effects?
LFT
Nausea, vomiting, sedation, dizziness, ataxia and confusion. Toxic epidermal necrosis (if rash stop immediately), blood dyscrasias
What are rapid cycler and mixed patients?
Rapid cycler: many bipolar episodes in a year
Mixed patients: Depression and mania at the same time
What is the first line agent for acute mania and mania prophylaxis in rapid cycler and mixed patients?
Carbamazepine
What class of drug do you use for schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, psychotic depression?
Antipsychotics
What are the different dopamine pathways?
Mesocortical
Mesolimbic
Nigrostriatal
Tuberoinfundibular
What symptoms does the mesocortical pathway give rise to?
Negative symptoms and
cognitive disorders arise. Problem here for a psychotic patient is too little dopamine
What symptoms does the mesoclimbic pathway give rise to?
Positive symptoms come from here. Too much dopamine
What symptoms does the nigrostriatal pathway give rise to?
Involved in movement
regulation. Dopamine hypoactivity –> Parkinsonian movements
What symptoms does the tuberoinfundibular pathway give rise to?
Blocking dopamine in this pathway will predispose to hyperprolactinaemia
What is the action of typical antipsychotics?
D2 receptor antagonists
What are the main side effects of typical antipsychotics?
Higher risk extrapyramidal side effects. Cardiotoxic and anticholinergic adverse effects including sedation and hypotension.
What are the examples of typical antipsychotics?
Fluphenazine, haloperidol, pimozide, chlorpromazine, thioridazine.
What is the action of atypical antipsychotics?
Serotonin-dopamine 2 agonists.
What is the difference between atypical and typical antipsychotics?
Atypicals affect dopamine and serotonin in the four key dopamine pathways in the brain, so they differ in side effect profiles.
What are the examples of atypical antipsychotics?
Risperidone, Olanzapine, Quetiapine, Aripiprazole, Clozapine
What are the main side effects of risperidone?
Extrapyramidal side effects
Prolactinaemia
Weight gain
Sedation.
What are the main side effects of olanzapine?
Prolactinaemia
Abnormal LFTs
What are the main side effects of quetiapine?
Abnormal LFTs Weight gain Cholesterolaemia Glycaemia Triglyceridaemia Orthostatic hypotension
What are the main side effects of aripiprazole?
Extrapyramidal side effects No QT prolongation
Akathisia/activation
Not really sedation or weight gain.
What are the main side effects of clozapine?
Used for treatment resistant patients Agranulocytosis Lowers seizure threshold, Most sedation + weight gain Abnormal LFTs Triglyceridaemia Cholesterolaemia Glycaemia Coma
What is an important principle of schizophrenia prophylaxis?
Keep the patient on treatment as far as possible, to prevent relapse and cognitive decline.
What are the main antipsychotic adverse effects?
Tardive dyskinesia
Neuroleptic malignant syndrome
Elevated WBC, CPK, LFTs
Extrapyramidal side effects
What are extrapyramidal side effects?
Acute dystonia, Parkinson syndrome, akathisia
If a patient comes in showing signs of extrapyramidal side effects, what can you use to treat?
Benztropine
Trihexyphenidyl Diphenhydramine
Amantidine
Propranolol Diazepam
What are anxiolytics used to treat?
Panic disorder, GAD, substance misuse, withdrawal, insomnia, parasomnias
What are examples of anxiolytics?
Busiprone
Benzodiazepines
What are the pros of busiprone?
Good augmentation strategy. Independent of endogenous release of serotonin. No sedation
What are the cons of busiprone?
Effect takes around 2 weeks. Less efficacious in patients used to BZDs
What are the pros of benzodiazepines ?
Very effective, used as acute short-term treatment.
What are the cons of benzodiazepines ?
- Somnolence
- Cognitive defects
- Amnesia
- Disinhibition
- Tolerance
- Dependence (potential for misuse)