Symptomatic Therapy

Even though neurodegenerative diseases still have no cure, specific symptoms may be amenable to medical treatment (Table 39.3). While few randomized clinical trials of symptomatic therapy have been performed in individual neurodegenerative 

Pseudobulbar affect SSRI antidepressants 20-100 mg QD Tricyclic antidepressants 20-100 mg QHS Mirtazapine 15-30 mg QHS Venlafaxine 37.5-75 mg BID-TID Dextromethorphan/quinidine 30mg/30mg BID Lithium carbonate 300 mg QD-TID 

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Since no specific antidotes are known, symptomatic therapy must be accompanied by complete rest. Toxicity by Inhalation (ThresholdUmit Value)-. 0.5 mg/m Short-Term Exposure Limits 2 mg/m for 30 min Toxicity by Ingestion oral LD, = 283 mg/kg (rat) Late Toxicity Possible liver damage loss of appetite or weight. Vapor (Gas) Irritant Characteristics No data Liquid or Solid Irritant Characteristics No data Odor Threshold No data. 

Monitor the patient for efficacy and adverse effects of disease-modifying and symptomatic therapies every... 

Simple Self-limiting, resolves spontaneously and requires only symptomatic therapy Complex Not relieved after administration of antiemetics progressive deterioration of patient secondary to fluid-eledrolyte imbalances usually associated with noxious agents or psychogenic events... 

Prophylactic therapies (Table 53-4) are administered on a daily basis to reduce the frequency, severity, and duration of attacks, as well as to increase responsiveness to acute symptomatic therapies. A treatment algorithm for prophylactic management of migraine headache is shown in Fig. 53-2. 

Persons with cognitive decline may respond to rivastigmine (1.5-6 mg twice daily), memantine (5-10 mg daily), or donepezil (5-10 mg daily) (see Chapter 60) affective disorders to antidepressants or anxiolytic agents (see Chapter 30) excessive daytime sleepiness to modafinil (100-400 mg in the morning) (see Chapter 9), and bladder and bowel disorders to appropriate symptomatic therapy (see Chapter 8). 

Mathies H. Probleme der symptomatischen Therapie rheu-matischer Erkrankungen mit Glukokortikoiden und nicht-steroidalen Antirheumatika. [Problems in symptomatic therapy of rheumatic diseases with glucocorticoids and nonsteroidal antirheumatic agents.] Internist (Berl) 1979 20(9) 414-25. 

The doses of allergens naturally taken up during the season vary widely depending upon numerous circumstances which can or cannot be influenced. To provide a certain minimum dose for each day, the continuation of immunotherapies during the season is necessary. The question of the continuation of immunotherapy during the season is combined with the question of the application of additional symptomatic therapies during immunotherapy, which... 

When insomnia is not caused by, or fails to respond to treatment for, another medical or psychiatric condition in dementia, pharmacological treatment with sedating agents may be considered as symptomatic therapy. Controversies regarding the use of sedating medications in demented patients revolve around issues of efficacy and issues of potential toxicity, neither of which have been resolved by appropriately comprehensive empirical study. There is evidence, however, that sedative-hypnotics as a class may be inappropriately prescribed or overprescribed for demented patients. 

Sodium Aurothiomalate The treatment of adverse effects is symptomatic. Therapy is withdrawn and a chelating agent such as dimercaprol may be used. 

Table 39.3. Symptomatic therapy in neurodegenerative diseases. Jinsy A. Andrews and Paul H. Gordon... 

Gordon PH, Mitsumoto H (2006) Symptomatic therapy and palliative aspects of clinical care in ALS. In Handbook of Clinical Neurology Motor Neuron and Related Disease (Eisen A and Shaw P, eds). Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers, in press. 

Distal sensory peripheral nenropathy (DSPN) has been associated with the nse of ddC, ddl, and stavndine, alone or in combination. The symptoms of this condition inclnde a bnming sensation in feet and hands, nnmbness and tingling in the feet, cramps in the legs, and absent ankle reflexes. The patient may also exhibit decreased sensation to temperatnre, pinprick, vibration, and proprioception (Dieterich, 2003). The symptoms are similar to HIV associated axonal neuropathy. This condition may become irreversible, so it is important to diagnose it earlier. The treatment of choice is symptomatic therapy and discontinuation of the toxic agent when possible. 

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