Understanding Major Depressive Disorder

A serious adverse reaction to antipsychotic medications characterized by muscle rigidity, fever, altered mental status, and autonomic instability.

Antipsychotics, both typical (first-generation) and atypical (second-generation), are known to cause Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome.

A life-threatening condition characterized by hyperthermia, altered mental status, autonomic instability, and neuromuscular hyperactivity. It's often a result of the combination of medications that increase serotonin levels in the body.

Several medications can contribute to Serotonin Syndrome, including antidepressants, opioids, and some herbal supplements.

John's wort, a herbal supplement, is known to be a strong inducer of the CYP enzymes, which can lead to various interactions with other medications.

John's wort is used to manage mild to moderate depression. However, it's important to note that it can increase suicidal ideation in individuals under 24 years old.

Lavender oil, a natural remedy, has proven to be non-inferior to benzodiazepines in treating generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).

Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) is a stress-management technique focused on relaxing muscle tension. It's effective for phobias and panic disorders.

Venlafaxine and desvenlafaxine are serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) used for major depressive disorder (MDD). They have additional indications for neuropathic pain and cataplexy.

Duloxetine is an SNRI with similar uses to venlafaxine and desvenlafaxine, including neuropathic pain.

Vortioxetine is classified as a multimodal antidepressant, meaning it acts on multiple neurotransmitter systems. It's commonly used for major depressive disorder.

SNRIs are a class of antidepressants that work by blocking the reuptake of serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain. This increases the levels of these neurotransmitters, potentially leading to improved mood.

SNRIs can have CYP inhibition activity, which means they can interfere with the breakdown of other medications in the body. This can lead to increased levels of other medications and potentially harmful side effects.

These medications may reduce the levels of Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCAs) in the bloodstream.

This class of medications can increase the effects of sympathomimetics (drugs that stimulate the sympathetic nervous system).

This particular TCA can lead to false positive results for LSD in laboratory tests.

This TCA is known to cause frequent false negative and false positive results in laboratory tests.

This TCA can lead to false positive results for amphetamines in laboratory tests.

Both the parent drug and its metabolites should be measured for a more accurate assessment of tertiary TCAs.

The metabolism of TCAs is influenced by these enzymes.

Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCAs) are a class of medications used to treat depression and other conditions.

The half-life of a drug refers to the time it takes for the concentration of the drug in the body to reduce by half.

This type of storage is recommended for TCAs.

The specific half-life of Amitriptyline is:

TCAs have a high potential for misuse and abuse.

These drugs are used alongside other medications to enhance treatment effectiveness.

Bipolar disorder is a condition characterized by episodes of mania and depression.

This defines a severe form of bipolar disorder with at least one manic episode and possible depressive or hypomanic episodes.

This defines a milder form of bipolar disorder characterized by hypomanic episodes and possible depressive episodes.

Sodium valproate is the ionized form of valproic acid, which is used for treating seizures, including generalized tonic-clonic, myoclonic, focal seizures, and as a second-line treatment for absence seizures. It can also be used for bipolar disorder.

Valproic acid is a first-line treatment for manic and depressive phases in bipolar disorder, along with related behavioral disturbances. It's used when symptoms persist beyond developmentally appropriate periods or for long periods of time.

Generalized tonic-clonic seizures (GTCS) involve a loss of consciousness accompanied by muscle rigidity (tonic phase) and rhythmic muscle contractions (clonic phase).

Focal seizures involve abnormal electrical activity in a specific area of the brain, and may or may not cause loss of consciousness. They can manifest with various symptoms like muscle twitching, sensory changes, or altered behavior.

Myoclonic seizures involve brief, involuntary muscle spasms that can affect a single muscle or multiple muscle groups. They may occur in isolation or as part of a more generalized seizure.

Absence seizures are characterized by brief periods of unconsciousness or altered awareness, often marked by a blank stare. They are typically seen in children and adolescents.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) involves persistent thoughts, urges, or images that cause anxiety or distress. These intrusive thoughts are resisted with compulsive behaviors to manage the discomfort.

Social anxiety disorder involves excessive fear of social situations and interacting with others. This fear can lead to avoidance behaviors, negatively impacting quality of life.

The process where a patient rebreathes carbon dioxide, leading to a decrease in oxygen and anesthetic gas levels in the body.

A type of amnesia where you can't remember events that happened after the onset of amnesia.

A rare and life-threatening complication of anesthesia, especially with volatile anesthetics like Halothane. It involves uncontrolled muscle contractions and a rapid increase in body temperature.

The property of anesthetics that allows them to dissolve in a substance, such as blood. This plays a role in how quickly anesthetics reach the brain and how long they remain active.

A side effect of prolonged nitrous oxide exposure that can lead to a deficiency of vitamin B12.

The region of the brain primarily affected by anesthetics, involved in explicit memory formation.

The primary receptor affected by benzodiazepines and opioids, leading to sedation and disruption of hippocampal theta rhythm.

A common side effect of anesthetics that can cause difficulty breathing.

A rare but severe liver complication associated with Halothane exposure, involving an immune response to a byproduct of the anesthetic.

The property of anesthetics that allows them to relax skeletal and smooth muscles. This can be useful for surgery but needs to be balanced with the risk of respiratory depression.

A short-acting anesthetic with rapid onset and offset. It causes sedation, analgesia, and anxiolysis. It works on GABA receptors in the brain.

A common side effect of propofol, characterized by muscle rigidity, fever, and changes in mental status.

A strong anesthetic agent with a particularly rapid onset and offset. Often used for induction and maintenance.

Ketamine's distinctive effect characterized by a feeling of detachment from reality.

A complication of long-term ketamine use, causing bladder inflammation and pain.

A potent anesthetic with long-acting effects, often used for induction and maintenance in surgical procedures.

A side effect of etomidate characterized by adrenal insufficiency. The drug inhibits an enzyme crucial for cortisol synthesis.

A common side effect of etomidate characterized by pain at the injection site. This is due to the low pH of the drug's formulation

A class of receptors responsible for mediating the effects of various drugs, including opioid analgesics, as well as ketamine and propofol.

A class of receptors that play a role in regulating cardiovascular activity, and affected by ketamine. These receptors also contribute to the effects of medications.