Less is More – Possible Option in the Treatment of Depression

Depression is an illness of modern society, which affects population of different age. Etiological factors differ, and frustration factors as a cause of depression are multiplying. Each new episode presents diffi culties, both for patients and psychiatrists. Despite the increasing number of antidepressants we use in treatment, it is sometimes hard to notice an effi cient antidepressant in an optimal-effi cient dose. In resistant cases we apply combinations of psychopharmacs, and the choice of the same depends on the leading symptoms. We will present the case of a 67-year old patient where a depressive episode (in the terms of a reccurent major depressive disorder) lasts for one year. During this period she was treated as outpatient and inpatient with several antidepresants in combinations with other psychopharmacotherapeutical drugs. Despite regular treatment, mental state was worsening. Clinical presentation was indicating developing of dementia (behavior, cognition outges), which we excluded through diagnostic process. Psychopharmacological combinations (antidepresants, mood stabilizators, antypschotics, anxsiolotix) were not effi cant. Progression of simptoms leads to rehospitalisation. In further treatmen, we followed the principle «Less is more» which resulted with an expected and satisfactory outcome

VALID GROUNDS FOR THE SWITCH OF ORIGINAL ANTIPSYCHOTICS WITH GENERICS

Patients\u27 non-compliance in treatments, such as irregular taking of medication, represents an enormous problem with psychiatric patients in general. This difficulty occurs especially in patients suffering from chronic mental illnesses such as schizophrenia. There are not any significant differences in the efficacy of reducing the positive symptoms in schizophrenia between the conventional and the atypical antipsychotics. However, the effects which are manifested in negative schizophrenia symptoms or in the patients\u27 cognitive functioning, favour the atypical antipsychotics. When it comes to adding the subjective well-being of the patients and their improvement of the quality of life, then, the advantages of atypical antipsychotics are unquestionable. New trends in medicine are increasingly impinge on the pharmacoeconomy, which aims at reducing treatment cost. This trend is getting progressively stronger in the world and as such, it certainly will not bypass Croatia. Pharmacists and General Practice doctors (GP) are permitted, by the law, to replace the original medicament prescribed by a specialist doctor, with a cheaper one from the same generic group of medicaments, with a purpose of cutting down the treatment costs. Is there always a valid justification for such practice, and should it become a rule for all the patients out there? This is a case report of a patient who suffers from paranoid schizophrenia. He has been on a treatment with atypical antipsychotics and has kept in a good and stable remission for the past seven years. His therapy consisted of olanzapine in a dose of 15 mg in the evening, throughout the whole period of his 7-year remission. A month ago, his GP doctor self- initially prescribed a generic olanzapine. The impact of this decision on to the mental state of the patient as well as his trust in the treatment itself is described in this report

COMORBIDITY – A TROUBLESOME FACTOR IN PTSD TREATMENT

Posttraumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) is a disorder which emerges after the patient has experienced one or more psychotraumatic events, which equally include neurobiological deregulation and psychological dysfunction. Comorbidity is present in more than 80% of the diagnosed cases of PTSD, which makes treatment of the primary disorder very difficult. It has been identified that PTSD can be found in comorbidity with other psychiatric disorders as well as with physical illnesses. This study presents aged 42, who has been psychiatrically treated for the past 12 years, with a diagnose of chronic PTSD and who subsequently developed depression. The patient has been treated for psoriasis for the past seven years, and two years ago, had to undergo surgery due to bladder carcinoma, followed by a radiotherapy course. Multiple comorbidity significantly makes the treatment of the primary illness very difficult and it limits the choice of pharmacotherapy in ambulatory conditions

PREGNANCY AND ATYPICAL ANTIPSYCHOTICS

Scientific research aiming at discovering new generations of effective medications is a common practice in medicine, and psychiatric research is no exception. Antipsychotics are used to treat chronic mental illnesses such as schizophrenia. The new generation of antipsychotics (atypicals) gradually reveal their advantages in comparison to the older generation of antipsychotics (conventional, typicals) and are increasingly applied to the everyday practice. Although there are no differences in the therapeutic effectiveness between the two groups mentioned, atypical antipsychotics have become the drugs of choice. A certain number of women in their reproductive age suffer from schizophrenia and other mental illnesses which demand antipsychotic treatment. Atypical antipsychotics have been available on the market since the mid 90’s so the experience in the application of these medicaments in treating pregnant women is relatively modest. This study will present our own experience in the treatment of a pregnant woman suffering from schizophrenia, who was treated with ziprasidone for the duration of her pregnancy. The psychotic symptoms remained in remission throughout the whole pregnancy period, during labour and after the birth. The pregnancy course remained normal all through to the birth, which was carried out naturally and normally. A healthy baby was born within the term expected