Other Drugs Used in Psychiatry Benzodiazepines During the 1960s benzodiazepines were routinely used as hypnotics (e.g. nitrazepam and temazepam), and anxiolytics (e.g. diazepam and chlordiazepoxide). The Committee on Safety of…
Treatment-Resistant Depression Treatment-resistant depression Although there is no generally accepted definition of treatment-resistant depression, NICE defines treatment-resistant depression as that which fails to respond to two or more antidepressants given…
Selective Serotonin Re-Uptake Inhibitors The use of SSRIs As implied by their name, the selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors, commonly abbreviated to SSRIs, selectively inhibit the re-uptake of the neurotransmitter serotonin…
Tricyclic and Related Antidepressant Drugs The use of tricyclic antidepressants Ever since Kuhn (1958) discovered the antidepressive actions of the archetypal tricyclic antidepressant imipramine, tricyclic antidepressants and related drugs have…
Monoamine-Oxidase Inhibitors The use of MAOIs The enzyme monoamine oxidase (MAO), found mainly in the external mitochondrial membrane, acts on central nervous system neurotransmitters such as noradrenaline, serotonin, and dopamine….
Antimanic Drugs The use of antimanic drugs The antimanic drugs considered in this chapter are lithium salts, carbamazepine, and semisodium valproate (containing valproic acid). Lithium carbonate and lithium citrate are…
Antipsychotic Depot Injections Administration Long-acting antipsychotic depot injections may be administered to adults by deep intramuscular injection. They should not be given to children. Advantages and disadvantages This form of…
Treatment-Resistant Schizophrenia Treatment-resistant schizophrenia In 2009, NICE published the following guidance for the treatment of patients suffering from schizophrenia who have not responded adequately to treatment. Related posts: Drug Treatment…
Non-Depot Antipsychotic Drugs Use of antipsychotic drugs Antipsychotic drugs (also known as ‘neuroleptics’) have a wide variety of uses in psychiatric practice. The main uses of antipsychotic drugs include the…
The Principles of Psychopharmacology Classification of psychotropic drugs The classification of psychotropic drugs followed in this book is similar to that used by the British National Formulary. It is given…
