Comparing and Contrasting Pharmacologic Options for the Treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder Essay

Comparing and Contrasting Pharmacologic Options for the Treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder Essay

Comparing and Contrasting Pharmacologic Options for the Treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder Essay

Comparing and Contrasting Pharmacologic Options for the Treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder Sample Essay

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a chronic mental illness whose onset is mainly during adolescence or early adulthood and persists throughout one’s lifespan (Bandelow et al., 2019). Based on existing evidence, most providers prioritize the use of pharmacologic treatment options as the first line for GAD due to cost factors and resources. Based on experience in clinical settings and expertise knowledge, different selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and selective serotonin-norepinephrine uptake inhibitors (SNRIs) are the most effective pharmacologic treatment options for GAD. The Food and Drug Administration recommends a variety of SSRIs and SNRIs as the first line of treatment alongside tricyclic antidepressants (TCA) (Ogawa et al., 2019). Most SNRIs and SSRIs have proven to be more effective compared to other options in managing GAD. While few concerns about tachyphylaxis can arise and other side effects, no evidence demonstrates sufficient proof of adverse outcomes concerning the administration of SSRIs and SNRIs, especially in chronic cases of GAD (Beck et al., 2018). Most patients’ pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, like headache, constipation, insomnia, and nausea are tolerable.

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Patients may develop antidepressant induced-nervousness which develops mainly due to the initial surge in serotonin levels. However, clinicians can mitigate the issue using benzodiazepines. The other option is using tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) which are more efficient compared to SSRIs. However, they are less prescribed due to their side effects which include sedation, possible weight gain, and even arrhythmias. Personalized care plans also exist with the use of cannabinoids considered an effective option because it causes relaxation and euphoric effects (Leshem et al., 2021). Cannabis as one of the cannabinoids causes relaxation and reduces anxiety. However, there is no existing literature to support the use of this option.

Several psychotherapies and psychotropic medications exist and have been approved by the FDA as pharmacologic treatment options for GAD among patients. Existing study evidence suggests that SSRIs and SNRIs offer the best efficacy levels for the treatment of GAD. While TCAs are more effective than SSRIs, their accompanying side effects make them not frequently prescribed (Schneider et al., 2019). The implication is that despite the efficacy of the discussed options, there is room for improvement and the development of more acceptable and productive pharmacologic interventions for treating generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).

References

Bandelow, B., Michaelis, S., & Wedekind, D. (2019). Treatment of anxiety disorders.

Dialogues in clinical neuroscience, 19(2), 93. DOI:10.31887/DCNS.2017.19.2/bbandelow

Beck, D. A., & Beck, C. L. (2018). Anxiolytics. In Clinical Psychopharmacology for

Neurologists (pp. 73-95). Springer, Cham.

Leshem, R., Bar-Oz, B., Diav-Citrin, O., Gbaly, S., Soliman, J., Renoux, C., & Matok, I. (2021).

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) and Serotonin Norepinephrine Reuptake

Inhibitors (SNRIs) During Pregnancy and the Risk for Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in the Offspring: A True Effect or a Bias? A Systematic Review & Meta-Analysis. Current Neuropharmacology, 19(6), 896-906.

https://www.ingentaconnect.com/contentone/ben/cn/2021/00000019/00000006/art00013

Ogawa, Y., Takeshima, N., Hayasaka, Y., Tajika, A., Watanabe, N., Streiner, D., & Furukawa,

1. A. (2019). Antidepressants plus benzodiazepines for adults with major depression.

Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (6). https://europepmc.org/article/med/31821138

Schneider, J., Patterson, M., & Jimenez, X. F. (2019). Beyond depression: Other uses for

tricyclic antidepressants. Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine, 86(12), 807-814.

https://europepmc.org/article/med/31821138

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Prepare:

• Review the Resources for this module and consider the principles of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics.
• Reflect on your experiences, observations, and/or clinical practices from the last 5 years and think about how pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic factors altered his or her anticipated response to a drug.
• Consider factors that might have influenced the patient’s pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic processes, such as genetics (including pharmacogenetics), gender, ethnicity, age, behavior, and/or possible pathophysiological changes due to disease.
• Think about a personalized plan of care based on these influencing factors and patient history with GAD.
• Post a discussion of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics related to anxiolytic medications used to treat GAD. In your discussion, utilizing the discussion highlights, compare and contrast different treatment options that can be used.