Ziprasidone (Geodon) – Think Bipolar

Medical News: Ziprasidone Okayed for Bipolar Disorder – in Psychiatry, Bipolar Disorder from MedPage Today

Ziprasidone comes with a long list of precautions and contraindications:

 

* It should not be used in patients with a known history of QT prolongation, recent acute myocardial infarction, or uncompensated heart failure, and should not be used with other QT-prolonging drugs.
* It should also be avoided in elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis, as studies have shown that ziprasidone increases the risk of death in such patients.
* Discontinuation should be considered in patients showing signs of tardive dyskinesia.
* Treatment should be stopped immediately in patients with symptoms of neuroleptic malignant syndrome, which include hyperpyrexia, muscle rigidity, diaphoresis, tachycardia, irregular pulse or blood pressure, cardiac dysrhythmia, and altered mental status.
* Patients and clinicians should be alert for hyperglycemia, rash, seizures, and orthostatic hypotension with ziprasidone.

Drugs and Falls

Medical News: Three Drug Classes Associated with Falls in the Elderly – in Primary Care, Geriatrics from MedPage Today

More than 30% of people ages 65 years and older experience a fall annually. Falls are associated with more than 40% of nursing home admissions, so research into risk factors “is urgently needed,” according the the researchers.

 

Saphris – Think Schizophrenia or Bipolar

I suppose Saphris sounds better than asenapine.

Medical News: FDA Okays New Antipsychotic for Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder – in Product Alert, Prescriptions from MedPage Today

FDA approval was based on data from more than 3,000 patients showing statistically significant efficacy versus placebo in acute schizophrenia trials and statistically significant reduction of bipolar mania symptoms versus placebo.