[Psychodrugs in the elderly]. / Psicofármacos en el anciano.

Based on the following realities, general knowledge on the management of psychodrugs in the elderly population is necessary for any physician: high prescription of psychodrug in this population, up to 25% of the elderly may require this treatment at any time, and good therapeutic response. To achieve good compliance to the psychiatric treatment by the elderly patient, the pharmacokinetic characteristics and interactions in this population must be well known to avoid the appearance of significant side effects. These side effects may induce the patient to drop out of the treatment or to even have at risk side effects. A review on the pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic characteristics related with psychodrugs in the elderly is done in this article. Based on this, the three large groups of anxiolytic, antidepressive and antipsychotic psychodrugs are reviewed.

Psicofármacos en el anciano / Psychodrugs in the elderly

Resulta necesario para cualquier médico un conocimiento general sobre el manejo de los psicofármacos en la población anciana en base a las siguientes realidades: alta prescripción de psicofármacos en esta población, hasta un 25% de los ancianos puede requerir en algún momento de este tratamiento; buena respuesta terapéutica. Para conseguir una buena adherencia al tratamiento psiquiátrico por parte del paciente anciano se deben conocer bien las características farmacocinéticas e interacciones en esta población para evitar la aparición de efectos secundarios importantes que induzcan al enfermo a abandonar el tratamiento o a poder presentar incluso efectos secundarios de riesgo. En el presente artículo se realiza una revisión sobre las características farmacodinámicas y farmacocinéticas relacionadas con los psicofármacos en el anciano, para posteriormente revisar los tres grandes grupos de psicofármacos ansiolíticos, antidepresivos y antipsicóticos

Based on the following realities, general knowledge on the management of psychodrugs in the elderly population is necessary for any physician: high prescription of psychodrug in this population, up to 25% of the elderly may require this treatment at any time, and good therapeutic response. To achieve good compliance to the psychiatric treatment by the elderly patient, the pharmacokinetic characteristics and interactions in this population must be well known to avoid the appearance of significant side effects. These side effects may induce the patient to drop out of the treatment or to even have at risk side effects. A review on the pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic characteristics related with psychodrugs in the elderly is done in this article. Based on this, the three large groups of anxiolytic, antidepressive and antipsychotic psychodrugs are reviewedBased on the following realities, general knowledge on the management of psychodrugs in the elderly population is necessary for any physician: high prescription of psychodrug in this population, up to 25% of the elderly may require this treatment at any time, and good therapeutic response. To achieve good compliance to the psychiatric treatment by the elderly patient, the pharmacokinetic characteristics and interactions in this population must be well known to avoid the appearance of significant side effects. These side effects may induce the patient to drop out of the treatment or to even have at risk side effects. A review on the pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic characteristics related with psychodrugs in the elderly is done in this article. Based on this, the three large groups of anxiolytic, antidepressive and antipsychotic psychodrugs are reviewed

[Dependence on anticholinergics among schizophrenics. Iatrogenic disease or self-medication?]. / Dependencia a anticolinérgicos en esquizofrénicos. Iatrogenia o automedicación?

This report concerns two schizophrenic patients who had ingested a biperiden overdose between 8 and 14 mg per day. This drug had been prescribed to treat extrapyramidal side effects of neuroleptics. Once the ingestion was suppressed, both patients complained about anxiety, discomfort and depression. These symptoms disappeared when reintroducing the biperiden. Both patients had a previous record of alcohol and cannabis abuse. One of them had also a recorder of sporadic consumption of other drugs such as heroin, amphetamines and hallucinogens. The predominant psychopathology was of the negative type. Through these cases we intend to support the likelihood of a cholinergic hyperactivity in the negative schizophrenic symptoms.