Case Study 1

Mrs. Jones is a 65-year-old woman who has been diagnosed with major depressive disorder. She has been prescribed venlafaxine, an antidepressant medication, by her psychiatrist. She presents to the outpatient clinic with complaints of headaches, nausea, and dizziness. She reports that she has been taking venlafaxine for two weeks.

Questions:

1. What is venlafaxine, and how does it work?
2. What are the common side effects of venlafaxine?
3. What are the potential drug interactions with venlafaxine?
4. What should be done if a patient experiences side effects from venlafaxine?

Case Study 2

Mr. Harshung is a 70-year-old man who has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. He has been taking levodopa/carbidopa for the past year, but his symptoms have been worsening, and he has developed motor fluctuations. His neurologist has prescribed selegiline as an adjunct therapy to improve his symptoms.

Questions:

1. What is selegiline, and how does it work?
2. What are the common side effects of selegiline?
3. What are the potential drug interactions with selegiline?
4. What should be done if a patient misses a dose of selegiline?

Note: Answers to the Case Studies can be found in the “Answer Key” sections at the end of the book.