Mood Stabilizers & Antidepressants
This mood stabilizer requires a therapeutic blood level of 0.6-0.12 to avoid toxicity.
What is lithium?
These medications may take 4-6 weeks before therapeutic effects are noticed.
What are SSRIs?
Another name for drugs that stimulate the sympathetic nervous system.
What are adrenergic agonists (or sympathomimetics)?
Another name for drugs that mimic acetylcholine.
What are cholinergic agonists (or parasympathomimetics)?
Parkinson’s disease is caused by an imbalance between these two neurotransmitters.
What are dopamine and acetylcholine?
Hyponatremia increases the risk of toxicity with this medication.
What is lithium?
A common electrolyte imbalance seen with SSRIs and SNRIs due to SIADH.
What is hyponatremia?
These receptors are primarily located in the heart.
What are Beta-1 receptors?
This pupil change occurs with cholinergic drugs.
What is miosis?
This drug is combined with levodopa to prevent peripheral breakdown.
What is carbidopa?
This antidepressant is often used off label for insomnia and can cause priapism.
What is trazadone?
Patients starting this medication class should be closely monitored during the first few weeks for this risk.
What are suicidal thoughts?
These medications cause arterial and venous dilation and are commonly used to treat hypertension and BPH.
What are alpha blockers?
These drugs may cause mydriasis, urinary retention, and dry mouth.
What are anticholinergics (cholinergic-blocking drugs)?
An anticholinergic used for Parkinson’s disease that may cause hyperthermia in hot weather.
What is benztropine (Cogentin)?
This class of medications carries a black box warning for increased suicidal thoughts in children and young adults.
What are SSRIs or SNRIs?
This class increases blood pressure and is also used for neuropathic pain and fibromyalgia.
What are SNRIs?
Cardioselective beta blockers primarily block this receptor type.
What are Beta-1 receptors?
This medication is used in mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease by increasing acetylcholine levels in the brain.
What is donepezil (Aricept)?
This serious cardiac adverse effect may occur with carbidopa-levodopa therapy.
What are cardiac dysrhythmias?
This dangerous condition may occur if too much serotonergic medication is taken, causing sweating, tremors, agitation, and tachycardia.
What is serotonin syndrome?
To prevent withdrawal symptoms like dizziness and worsening depression, this should be done over 1–2 months.
What is tapering the medication?
Dobutamine and phenylephrine are examples of this drug category.
What are catecholamines (or sympathomimetics)?
This Parkinson’s medication crosses the blood-brain barrier and is converted to dopamine.
What is levodopa?
This drug class blocks stimulation of beta receptors by competing with epinephrine and norepinephrine.
What are beta blockers?