It’s not uncommon to see patients in long-term care facilities prescribed medications for anxiety, agitation, or insomnia. Two such medications that can raise red flags are Atarax (hydroxyzine) and Ativan (lorazepam). While both can be appropriate in select...
An 82-year-old woman with a history of mild Alzheimer’s dementia is started on donepezil 10 mg nightly to help with memory and cognitive function. After several weeks, her family reports that she’s been waking up multiple times per night to urinate and has complained...
Diuretics are most frequently used for hypertension and to remove excess fluid from the body. The use of diuretics can often cause the prescribing cascade. In this post, I’ll share 3 of my most common examples of diuretics and the prescribing cascade I’ve...
In this case scenario, I review a common situation I’ve encountered with duplicate antidepressant therapy. JS is a 67-year-old male with a history of type 2 diabetes, peripheral neuropathy, and depression. He has been taking sertraline (podcast) 100 mg daily for...
In this case scenario, we will look at the importance of making an apixaban (podcast) dose adjustment based upon clinical factors. LS is an 83-year-old female with a history of atrial fibrillation, hypertension, and osteoarthritis. She’s currently prescribed Eliquis...
ES is a 74-year-old female with mild dementia managed with donepezil 10 mg nightly. She had been experiencing severe nighttime restlessness and an irresistible urge to move her legs, leading to frequent awakenings and fatigue during the day. Her provider diagnosed...
