Anxiety. This post will cover the points you need to know for your board exams as well as for teaching residents on the daily rounds. Please don't use the information here to treat your patients.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder GAD is characterized by restlessness and worrying about life events for more than 6 months interfering in some aspects of life. The differential diagnosis includes substance abuse, carcinoid syndrome, hypoglycemia, hyperthyroidism and arrythmia. SSRIs and SNRIs are the first lines of treatment. Second line includes some Tricyclic antidepressants, antiepileptics and antipsychotics. Third line include monoamine oxidase inhibitors.
SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) examples: Escitalopram (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil) and Sertraline (Zoloft)
SNRIs (Serotonin and Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors) examples: Duloxetine (Cymbalta) and Venlafaxine extended release (Effexor XR)
Tricyclic antidepressants used in GAD include Amitriptyline, imipramine (Tofranil) and nortriptyline (Pamelor).
Antiepileptic used in GAD is Pregabalin (Lyrica).
Antipsychotics used in GAD are Quetiapine (Seroquel) and hydroxyzine (Vistaril).
Monoamine oxidase inhibitor include Isocarboxazid (Marplan), Phenelzine Nardil and Tranylcypromine (Parnate).
Benzodiazepine can be used for short term to potentiate the effect of other medications but should be avoided in patients with substance abuse. These include Alprazolam (Xanax), Clonazepam (Klonopin), Diazepam (Valium) and Lorazpam (Valium).
For general reading in psychiatry try the Kaplan and Sadock's book.
The information in this post is not for patients and shouldn't be used in treating patients. Please refer to your doctor for medical advice.