Reference no: EM133777364

Assignment

A female patient is a diagnosed depression patient who needs to restart on medications. Her major symptoms are lack of interest in her usual activities and some anxiety associated with her workplace stress, but she denies issues of sleep disturbance and overeating. These were issues when she was diagnosed as depressed 2 years ago. She received a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) medication, Paxil, at that time. She is reluctant to take them again because she had an onset syndrome that she had not been warned about. She admits she did not do very well on it because the MD took a slow and watchful approach to altering her medications. She also had a "rough time" when she decided to stop taking it after 2 years. She read an article that said timelines for depression medication therapy have changed and she has some questions about this.

Her first question is whether she will have "onset" syndrome for her new SSRI prescription of citalopram and, if so, how long would it last?

She needs clarification on what the term self-limiting means.

A. The patient then asks about the internet article about the newer approach behind aggressively moving dosage levels higher at a rapid pace (unlike the slow and cautious approach she had previously).

B. She wants to know how long she is expected to stay on the higher dose prior to thinking about tapering them off.

C. She, however, is a patient who has a return to a depressive state after one failed taper. How long should the next regimen last? If remission is not achieved within 2 to 3 months of restarting therapy, what should occur?