by Eric Christianson | Nov 23, 2025 | Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine Case Studies
A 45-year-old woman with a history of bipolar I disorder was recently hospitalized for a manic episode. Following stabilization, her psychiatrist initiated lithium carbonate at 300 mg twice daily for mood stabilization. Her baseline thyroid function tests were within...
by Eric Christianson | Nov 16, 2025 | Long Term Care Consultant Pharmacist Education and Information, Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine Case Studies
It’s not uncommon to see patients in long-term care facilities prescribed medications for anxiety, agitation, or insomnia. Two such medications that can raise red flags are Atarax (hydroxyzine) and Ativan (lorazepam). While both can be appropriate in select...
by Eric Christianson | Nov 9, 2025 | Neurology, Pain, and Musculoskeletal Case Studies
An 82-year-old woman with a history of mild Alzheimer’s dementia is started on donepezil 10 mg nightly to help with memory and cognitive function. After several weeks, her family reports that she’s been waking up multiple times per night to urinate and has complained...
by Eric Christianson | Nov 2, 2025 | Cardiovascular Case Studies
Diuretics are most frequently used for hypertension and to remove excess fluid from the body. The use of diuretics can often cause the prescribing cascade. In this post, I’ll share 3 of my most common examples of diuretics and the prescribing cascade I’ve...
by Eric Christianson | Oct 15, 2025 | Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine Case Studies
In this case scenario, I review a common situation I’ve encountered with duplicate antidepressant therapy. JS is a 67-year-old male with a history of type 2 diabetes, peripheral neuropathy, and depression. He has been taking sertraline (podcast) 100 mg daily for...
by Eric Christianson | Oct 12, 2025 | Cardiovascular Case Studies
In this case scenario, we will look at the importance of making an apixaban (podcast) dose adjustment based upon clinical factors. LS is an 83-year-old female with a history of atrial fibrillation, hypertension, and osteoarthritis. She’s currently prescribed Eliquis...
