Psychosis short-term

Amphetamine Clinically used for narcolepsy (sudden day-time onset sleep) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) formerly used as a short-term slimming agent, as an antidepressant and to boost athletic performance recreational use widespread tolerance develops readily highly addictive regular users suffer many health problems and a reduced life expectancy amphetamine psychosis may develop, with similar symptoms to acute paranoid schizophrenia. 

First, two or three drug combinations lithiumP or valproate0 plus a benzodiazepine (lorazepam or clonazepam) for short-term adjunctive treatment of agitation or insomnia lorazepam is recommended for catatonia. If psychosis is present, initiate atypical antipsychotic in combination with above. 

Efficacy in short-term treatment. From studies in adult schizophrenia, it is evident that clozapine treatment has at least the same or superior antipsychotic effect, compared to typical antipsychotics. In some studies, clozapine was superior with regard to symptom reduction in severe and acute schizophrenic patients. As the guidelines do not allow the use of clozapine as a first-choice drug, most patients have been treated before with at least two atypical or typical antipsychotics. Only one controlled trial has assessed the efficacy of clozapine in child and adolescent psychiatry. In this study (Kumra et ah, 1996), clozapine was found to be superior to haloperidol in all measures of psychosis, and showed a striking superiority for both positive and negative symptoms. 

Finally, if the person has not found some way to forestall the attractiveness of a short-term reward, he will ultimately seek this reward. However, as the table indicates, the short-term nature of an interest is apt to be relative. What looks to an observer like a person s capitulation to his short-term interest may in fact be a realistic attempt to forestall a still shorter-term one. For instance, it is not uncommon for people to cultivate a rigid, narrowly self-righteous personal style (Level 2) in order to avoid becoming alcoholic or to overcome alcoholism (Level 3). Similarly, it is said in the psychiatric lore that marginally psychotic people often become alcoholic (Level 3) to avoid regressing into psychosis ( Level 4 or 5). A person may sometimes not aspire higher for fear of sinking lower. 

Regardless of what causes ADHD, the behavior of a person with ADHD improves in the short term after taking a stimulant drug such as Ritalin. Ritalin also improves concentration, increases attention span, and lowers the activity level both in individuals with ADHD and without. On the other hand, Ritalin may cause several adverse drug reactions, from growth inhibition to psychosis. 

The next important question is whether the short-term improvement produced by neuroleptics is better than that obtained with other sorts of drugs. Table 6.1 shows that studies have found that a variety of drugs have comparable effects to neuroleptics in the treatment of psychosis or schizophrenia. Two early randomised trials concluded that barbiturates were inferior to neuroleptics, but these may have been influenced by negative expectations of barbiturates, which were part of the old generation of disregarded drugs and are referred to in the studies as the control medication (Casey et al. 1960, p. 98). 

Table 6.1 Studies comparing neuroleptics to other sedatives for short-term treatment of psychosis or schizophrenia...

Data from short-term clinical trials (6 weeks) suggest that quetiapine may be useful for the management of psychotic disorders in patients who do not tolerate the adverse effects of the typical antipsychotic drugs or clozapine (3). The most common adverse effects of quetiapine were dizziness, hypotension, somnolence, and weight gain. Raised hepatic enzymes have also been reported. In addition, two patients with idiopathic Parkinson s disease and psychosis were treated with quetiapine for 52 weeks (4). Psychotic symptoms were successfully controlled without worsening of motor disability. 

Chiorpromazine has a broad spectrum of efficacy, but risk of tardive dyskinesia and the avaiiabiiity of aiternative treatments make its utiiization outside of psychosis a short-term and second-iine treatment option... 

The short-acting barbiturates are used for short-term treatment of insomnia, anxiety, psychosis, preoperative sedation, control of seizures, and anesthetics. Short-acting barbiturates are also used as drugs of abuse. Barbiturate use has dramatically decreased since the 1970s with the introduction of benzodiazepines. 

Secobarbital is useful in the short-term therapy of insomnia, and in the control of status epilepticus. It is also useful in the therapy of preoperative anxiety and the therapy of psychosis, as an agent to control agitation. 

Indirectly acting s)mpathomimetic displaces stored catecholamines in nerve endings. Marked CNS stimulant actions high abuse liability. Used in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, for short-term weight loss, and for narcolepsy. Tox psychosis, HTN, MI, seizures. 

B. Short-term (days to weeks) high-level exposure to carbon disulfide is associated with psychiatric manifestations ranging from mood change to trank delirium and psychosis. 

A. Subjective effects after smoking a marijuana cigarette include euphoria, palpitations, heightened sensory awareness, and altered time perception followed after about 30 minutes by sedation. More severe intoxication may result in impaired short-term memory, depersonalization, visual hallucinations, and acute paranoid psychosis. Occasionally, even with low doses of THC, subjective effects may precipitate a panic reacticn. 

Marijuana Use of marijuana may impair or reduce short-term memoiy and comprehension, alter sense of time, and reduce a person s ability to perform tasks requiring concentration and coordination. Marijuana can also produce paranoia and psychosis. 

Cannabis (weed, skunk, hash, ganja) Relaxation, sedation Euphoria, giving Anxiety, paranoia Perceptual/time distortion Nausea/vomiting Hunger ( the munchies ) Dry mouth, bloodshot eyes i Attention, short-term memory i Reactions, coordination i BP T HR Irritability, anxiety Resdessness Insomnia/vivid dreams (can last three weeks) Shaky, sweaty cold chills 1 Appetite Stomach pains Can tri er psychosis. Usually smoked, sometimes eaten/drunk. Skunk is a particularly potent form... 

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