Reference no: EM133242788

Chris is a 23 year old man, who lives with his girlfriend in the city. He has been feeling constantly tired, finding it difficult to get to sleep, and when he does get to sleep he wakes up frequently during the night. He doesn't really care about eating and has no energy or enthusiasm for anything.

His girlfriend, Jenny is very worried because Chris is becoming more and more withdrawn from his friends, family and her. Jenny believes the change in Chris occurred after his father died from a heart attack five months ago. Jenny has managed to encourage Chris it got to the doctor.

Question One

Chris and his GP have a lengthy discussion, and he is prescribed fluoxetine 20mg and is referred to a counsellor. ???????

Given your knowledge of this medication, why has the GP chosen to prescribe fluoxetine? Why has the GP chosen fluoxetine over other antidepressants such as moclobemide or amitriptyline

Question Two

Given your knowledge of medications used to manage depression, discuss how having an understanding of neurotransmitter function can be used to develop medications for treating depression.

Question Three

A concern that arises with the use of antidepressants is the risk of overdose, since suicide is a known risk for a person who is depressed. Which of the antidepressant medication classes cause the greatest problems with overdose and what are the symptoms to watch out for?