Psychopharmacology (medications) Flashcards
What are the five main classes of drugs?
Antipsychotics, antidepressants, Benzodiazepine anxiolytics, Mood stabilisers, and hypnotics
What are antipsychotic medications used for?
Primarily used for schizophrenia, BPAD, emergency sedation, ASD, OCD, PTSD, and MSS.
What are the two types of antipsychotics?
Typical and atypical
What are examples of typical antipsychotics?
- Haloperidol (oral/depo/IM)
- Zuclopenthixol (oral/depo/IM)
- Flupenthixol (depo only)
- Levomepromazine
What are examples of atypical antipsychotics?
- Olanzapine (oral/depo/IM)
- Rideridone/paliperidone (oral/depo)
- Clozapine
- Quetiapine
- Ziprasidone
- Aripiprazole
- Amisulpride
Is typical or atypical more likely to cause extrapyramidal side effects?
Typical is more likely to cause extrapyramidal side effects, however atypical is more likely to cause metabolic side effects.
What are the extrapyramidal side effects?
Parkinsonism, dystonia, akathisia, tardive dyskinesia
What is Neuroleptic malignant syndrome?
a life-threatening neurologic emergency associated with the use of antipsychotic (neuroleptic) agents and characterized by a distinctive clinical syndrome of mental status change, rigidity, fever, and dysautonomia
What are the symptoms of Neuroleptic malignant syndrome?
Fever
Encephalopathy
Vitals (tachycardia, BP changes)
Elevated enzymes (CK, WBCs)
Rigidity
What is Hyperprolactinaemia
Hyperprolactinemia is a condition characterized by excess prolactin, the hormone responsible for milk production in a woman’s breasts.
typical antipsychotics can cause this. It can affect 40% of patients on typical antipsychotics.
What are the signs and symptoms of Hyperprolactinemia?
Galactorrhoea (milk discharge from breasts)
Amenorrhoea
Gynocomastia (breast development in males)
Hypogonadism
Sexual dysfunction (eg impotence)
Decreased fertility
Increased risk of hip fracture
Increased risk of breast cancer
Is Clozapine the most effective antipsyhotic?
Yes
What are the side effects of Clozapine?
constipation/bowel obstruction, myocarditis, cardiomyopathy, sedation, hypersalivation, weight gain, rise lipids/hyperglycaemia, and seizures
What are the significant risks when on Clozapine?
Neutropenia and agranulocytosis, constipation, myocarditis and cardiomyopathy
What are some advantages of a depot antipsychotic?
Compliance, reasonable stability, potentially less risk of relapse, less possibility of overdose.