Identification And Quantification Of Antidepressants

Toxicology test will measure the amount of psychotropic medication drugs in the patient’s blood stream. The tests will the ability to measure for one or up to thirty different drugs. A toxicology test is normally used once a patient enters the inpatient unit. The detection periods for medications depend on the half-life of the medications (cite). The average length of time medications will last in a patient’s blood streams ranges from two to four days. If a patient is adherent to her/his medication the primal level within the blood stream should be highly detectable (cite).

In spite of the concerns associated with antidepressants and their negative impact with certain therapy medicines and their potentially addictive qualities, they are still regularly used in drug rehabilitation. That's because their positives still outweigh the negatives, especially when dealing with the mental illness that often comes with illicit drug

Does cognitive-behavioral therapy work just as well as antidepressants when treating depression? How we perceive our depression is what helps to determine the type of treatment necessary. Antidepressants treat the common symptoms of depression rather than the condition while therapy helps change the thought process so the disease is cured in the end. Many studies are done to provide necessary information to what the answer to this question should be. The following articles provided studies that explained the effects of treatment with medication, with therapy, or a combination of both.

“Correct (Chemical & Name Brand) Name of drug. What category is it? What schedule does it belong in?”

The history of depressants stretches back thousands of years. Alcohol, the prototypical depressant, was consumed by humans as early as 10,000 B.C., as established by the discovery of beer jugs from the late Stone Age. Other natural depressants such as opium also have ancient origins. Historically, barbiturates in particular have been used as "truth serums" because people under the influence of these drugs often speak without thinking

Recently, new drugs have appeared in the illegal drug market. The new substances claimed to contain “non-Illegal” compounds yet still deliver the psychoactive effects desired. This new class of compounds are now commonly known as “SmartDrugs” and are distributed through internet commerce or “Smart Shops”. Some of the drugs included in the mixtures are cathinones and trytamine analogs of psylocin. The current method of identification is toxicological screening and is proven to have some ineffectiveness at identifying the new compounds. However, new advances in mass spectrometry are expected to broaden the diagnostic spectrum of the toxicological screening, capable of detecting hundreds of compounds at nanomolar levels. New liquid phase separation techniques are coupled with the mass spectrometry for high accuracy at identification (Favretto, 2013).

The effect of stimulants and depressants on the body and mind is a topic area that should be closely examined. Depressants and stimulants are two of the most common types of substances that are abused. While it is clear that some stimulants and depressants have positive attributes. For example, Adderall a stimulant used with children with ADHD who need help focusing, and Xanax a depressant used for those who may have increased anxiety. Although are widely used, they have addictive qualities, especially with prolonged use. Differentiating between the two categories is imperative because they affect the body and mind in two different ways. Stimulants increase activity in the individual using the drug, while depressants slow down activity. The

Perry, P. J., Alexander, B., Liskow, B. I., & DeVane, C. L. (2007). Psychotropic drug handbook (8th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

However, if abused, these depressants can have many unwanted and harmful effects. With prescribed depressants, the first few days a person usually feels sleepy and uncoordinated, but as the body becomes accustomed to the effects of the drug and tolerance develops, these side effects begin to disappear. Sometimes the dosage isn’t enough, and the user requires more of the drug or begins to use long term, and larger doses may be needed to achieve the therapeutic effects. Continued use can also lead to physical dependence and withdrawal when use is abruptly reduced or stopped.

According to our reading, talking about how antidepressants work is a simple answer “we don’t know” (Elliott Ingersoll, 2016, p. 84). What I do know, is that there are many people that do not want to take antidepressants. I have experienced this at the facility where I intern at. I first ask my patient why are they unsure about taking antidepressants. We then explain to them that there are many reasons why individuals become depressed and how everyone is different. As well as individuals who take an antidepressant might experience improvements in their depression and improvements in quality of life. Individuals feel less reactive to difficult life events, having fewer negative obsessive thoughts, as well as they can stop and consider their

It is also known to cause drug interaction in dose dependence manner, single and multiple dose of 30mg did not affect the elimination or area under the curve (AUC) of diazepam 10mg, tolbutamide 1000mg or chlorothiazide 500mg, or of secobarbitone (secobarbital) 150mg, but 60mg prolonged the elimination of diazepam, but physiological responses to diazepam were unaffected (3). Also, fluoxetine might have enhanced the toxic effects of other drugs, such as, cocaine because of its weak pro-arrhythmogenic properties (10). Therefore, the concentration of fluoxetine and norfluoxetine is important.

A depressant, or central depressant, is a drug that lowers neurotransmission levels, which is to decrease or reduce arousal or motivation, in various areas of the brain. This prescription can only be prescribed by a doctor, this type of drug can be relatively safe and helpful. However, necessity and addiction but they still are potential risks. These risks increase when these drugs are changed. Taking this drugs to get you high can cause serious, and even dangerous,

One way to determine death is through a toxicology test or “tox screen”. A toxicology test is when the medical examiner tests stomach contents, bone, bone marrow, hair and nails to see if there is a trace of drugs in their system (“Toxicology”, 2013, para. 8-10). Toxicology can be dated back in ancient times, though it is still very modern (ToxEdFoundation, 2016, para. 1). The 16th century physician, Paracelsus, is considered to be the “Father of Toxicology” (ToxEdFoundation, 2016, para. 1).

When the two serotonergic drugs are prescribed together, the serotonin reuptake inhibition effect has been intensified, leading to an increased amount of serotonin at the synaptic cleft. This excessive amount of serotonin result in the serotonin syndrome experienced by Mrs Barrett. According to Volpi-Abadie et al. (2013), the inhibition of cytochrome P450 enzymes by the SSRIs can be another underlying reason for the toxic symptoms. As tramadol is metabolized by CYP2D6 enzyme and paroxetine strongly inhibits the CYP2D6 enzyme, this drug interaction results in the accumulation of tramadol and thus increase its serotonergic activity, inhibiting more serotonin reuptake activities. Therefore, it can be concluded that the symptoms experienced by Mrs Barrett is the serotonin syndrome as a result of the addition of tramadol and paroxetine. The drug interaction between tramadol and paroxetine involving the CYP2D6 enzyme is also accountable for the

Approximately, 20-25% of women and 12% of men will experience and be treated for major depression (Help, 2013). The use and abuse of certain medications, drugs of abuse and/or alcohol can lead to classic symptoms of major depressive disorder (Nemade,D & Patricelli, n.d). For individuals who have the disorder, a depressed mood or a sense of hopelessness can also lead to cycles of substance abuse. Furthermore, when people feel down they self-medicate and use drugs /alcohol in an attempt to try to make the pain go away. Addictions are known to be a direct result of self-medicating that led to continued use of drugs and alcohol . In Cynthia's case, her use increased consumption of alcohol and clonazepam during her dark periods worsened her symptoms . Another risk factor to consider is that Cynthia's father had a history of alcohol abuse and her paternal grandmother had several nervous breakdowns and but her diagnosis was