by Eric Christianson | Jan 29, 2023 | Psychiatry and Addiction Medication and Disease State Clinical Pearls
Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is a movement disorder that can cause repetitive, uncontrolled muscle movements in the face, neck, arms, and legs. In this article, we provide an update on tardive dyskinesia therapies. Symptoms of TD can include a mixture of orofacial...
by Eric Christianson | Dec 4, 2022 | Psychiatry and Addiction Medication and Disease State Clinical Pearls
Trazodone is a medication I see used in my geriatric practice on a daily basis. It is classified as a “serotonin modulator”. It has some serotonin antagonist action at lower doses and may have more serotonin agonist effects at higher dosages. In this...
by Eric Christianson | Nov 23, 2022 | Psychiatry and Addiction Medication and Disease State Clinical Pearls
Lorazepam and clonazepam are both from the benzodiazepine family. I see them both used in clinical practice on a regular basis. While their pharmacology actions are essentially identical, there are some pharmacokinetic, dosage form, and indication differences you...
by Eric Christianson | Oct 23, 2022 | Psychiatry and Addiction Medication and Disease State Clinical Pearls
Z-drugs, otherwise known as benzodiazepine receptor agonists, are used to help patients with insomnia that is associated with difficulty falling asleep (sleep latency), difficulty staying asleep (sleep maintenance), or not feeling rested after a night’s sleep (sleep...
by Eric Christianson | Oct 16, 2022 | Psychiatry and Addiction Medication and Disease State Clinical Pearls
Benzodiazepines are prescribed to over 5% of the United States population and that number continues to grow. This class of medications is responsible for facilitating the binding of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA-A at various GABA receptors throughout the...
by Eric Christianson | Aug 17, 2022 | Psychiatry and Addiction Medication and Disease State Clinical Pearls
Bipolar disorder medications contain a treasure trove of clinical pearls that a clinical pharmacist must know. Many of the frequently used medications have numerous clinical quirks that may encourage you to use the medication or discourage you from use. Let’s...