Psychotropic Drugs: Fast Facts
Fourth Edition
Jerrold S. Maxmen, MD
Sidney H. Kennedy, MD
Roger S. McIntyre, MD
Praise for Psychotropic Drugs: Fast Facts
“Drs. Kennedy and McIntyre have long been acknowledged as two of the leading psychopharmacologists in the world today. Their comprehensive revision to the fourth edition of Psychotropic Drugs: Fast Facts—considered an authoritative text in the field—is one that every practitioner who treats patients with psychiatric disorders will want to have on their desk. It provides easy-to-read, up-to-date information on all the major psychiatric medications. Particularly useful is their discussion of the frequency of side effects and, most important to the practicing clinician, the consequences of abrupt cessation of these medications. I would recommend this valuable guide to practicing psychiatrists, general practitioners, and internists who see patients with psychiatric disorders on a regular basis, and certainly to psychiatric residents and medical students seeking an accessible resource on psychopharmacology.”
—Charles B. Nemeroff, MD, PhD, Reunette W. Harris Professor and Chair, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
Overview
Now in its fourth edition, this book continues to present valuable information in a clear, accessible format. Organized by major drug classes, it offers comprehensive data on dosage, side effects, drug-drug interactions, withdrawal, and more—everything clinicians need to know to properly manage their clients’ pharmacological treatment.
Contents
Introduction to the Fourth Edition
- Antipsychotics
- Agents for Treating Movement Disorders
- Antidepressants
- Dementia
- Mood Stabilizers
- Antianxiety Agents
- Hypnotics
- Stimulants
Appendix 1: Drug Identification by Generic Name
Appendix 2: Drug Identification by Trade Name
Appendix 3: Drug Interactions—Cytochrome P450 Enzymes
Appendix 4: Measurement-Based Care
Bibliography
From the Introduction
Major advances in psychopharmacology have necessitated a substantial revision to these “Fast Facts.” The new millennium has seen diagnostic refinement and significant advances in experimental clinical pharmacology, including new mechanisms of action for hypnotic and antidepressant agents (e.g., ramelteon and agomelatine act on melatonin receptors; memantine acts on NMDA receptors). However, most advances reflect modifications to current pharmacotherapies to provide better tolerability and, in some cases, enhanced efficacy . . .
The past decade has also seen an expansion of indications for many agents, notably the “second generation” antipsychotic agents (SGA’s) (e.g., quetiapine, olanzapine). The SGA’s, initially indicated for schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders, are now indicated for Tourette’s Syndrome and various phases of bipolar disorder with anticipated approval in major depressive disorder and other mental disorders. The broad spectrum of efficacy offered by SGAs has fostered a clinical opinion that these agents are “pan-psychotropics.”
It is interesting to speculate what the next decade will bring . . . It seems within grasp that future treatments for mental disorders will not only suppress symptoms but also exert a salutatory effect on the underlying disease process. We hope that in the next 5 years there will sufficient progress in these directions to dramatically influence the fifth edition Psychotropic Drugs: Fast Facts.
About the Authors
Sidney H. Kennedy, MD, is Professor of Psychiatry at University of Toronto and Psychiatrist-in-Chief at University Health Network in Toronto.
Roger S. McIntyre, MD, is Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Pharmacology and Head of the Mood Disorders Psychopharmacology Unit at the University of Toronto.
At the time of his death in 1992, Jerrold S. Maxmen, MD was associate professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons and had a private practice in New York City.
ISBN 13: 978-0-393-70520-1
ISBN 10: 0-393-70520-X
2008 / 260 pages / paperback
