Antipsychotics
Introduction
Antipsychotic is a psychiatric drug that is availed through prescription and licensing to treat different mental health illness, such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder (Seeman, 2015). Other antipsychotics also treat extreme anxiety, physical problems like nausea, agitation as well as dementia. The antipsychotic prescription occurs in many different ways. Usually, it is taken orally in form of tablet or liquid and at other times, as depot injections. It is difficult to tell how an individual will respond to a given kind of prescription. This paper will argue using three decisions on how to prescribe medication to this case study ‘Puerto Rican woman with Comorbid addiction’.
Decision #1
Selected Decision
Prescribe Antabuse (Disulfiram) dosage of 250mg orally every morning.
Reason for Selection
Mrs. Perez was diagnosed with alcohol use disorder and of the many ways to treat this disorder; use of Cvek (2011)’s Antabuse (disulfiram) as the best approach. She had chronic alcoholism and Antabuse is appropriate for such a person. Disulfiram blocks that enzyme which metabolizes alcohol intake and generates negative side effects when mixed with alcohol in the body. As a result, the medication will tend to keep the individual from drinking alcohol. Some of the side effects of Antabuse include metallic taste in the mouth, redness, chest pains, fast pounding heartbeats, spinning sensation.
Expected Results
Antabuse is a highly effective antipsychotic therapy that should be able to reduce the symptoms (Fuller & Gordis, 2004) within the initial four weeks. The patient should have reduced “problems” with alcohol and able to maintain sobriety in terms of clear, coherent and goal oriented speech. She should be of noteworthy mannerisms and gestures. The client should have reduced visual or auditory hallucinations as well as no delusional and paranoid thought processes. Her insight and judgment should remain intact and impairment of impulse control should be reduced.
Differences between Expected Results and Actual Results
Instead of noteworthy mannerisms, (Fuller & Gordis, 2004) present client reports with complaints to do with sedation, fatigue and “metallic taste” in her mouth. While the “metallic taste” was expected to be a significant side effect, she mentions that it “seems to be going away.” There was also no change in her delusional processes but rather, she made a mention that a mere drink about 5 days from the start of the drug would kill her. Unexpectedly, Mrs. Perez continued to visit the casino though spends much less this time around and her cigarette smoking increased. Rightly so, she felt redness of face and her heart “pound right out of her chest.”