Acute Bipolar Depression: Which Medications to Consider?
This most recent systematic review and network meta-analysis published in Lancet Psychiatry in Sep 2023 is considered the largest network meta-analysis of pharmacotherapy for bipolar…
Author: Dr. Harvinder Singh
Severe Melancholic Depression: How to Manage?
Melancholic features in major depressive disorder are characterized by: ONE of the following present during the most severe period of the current episode: Loss of…
Geriatric Psychiatry Update: Sedentary Behavior & Dementia Risk
According to this retrospective study published in JAMA Psychiatry on Sep 12, 2023: “Among older adults, more time spent in sedentary behaviors was significantly associated…
Can Cyproheptadine help with PTSD Nightmares?
Psychiatry Education Forum Academy has a complete lecture series on PTSD management where Dr. Harvinder Singh has collaborated with Dr. David Osser. In this lecture…
Pregabalin for Treatment-Resistant GAD?
Living with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) can be an uphill battle. Constantly wrestling with intrusive worries and fears can disrupt daily life and diminish one’s…
Anti-Manic Agent of Choice for Acute Bipolar?
Acute manic episodes in bipolar disorder should be considered as an emergency. Managing acute manic episodes requires a careful selection of medications to help stabilize…
Antipsychotics of Choice during Lactation
Lactation is a period when mothers are not only nurturing their infants physically but also emotionally. However, for mothers with severe mental health conditions, the…
Zuranolone: First Oral Medication FDA Approved for Postpartum Depression
On Aug 4, 2023: Biogen announced the FDA approval of ZURZUVAE™ (Zuranolone) for Women with Postpartum Depression. This is the first oral medication approved for…
Geriatric Psychiatry Update: ChEIs for Psychotic Symptoms
According to this recent meta-analysis published in JAMA Neurology on June 26, 2023: Cholinesterase Inhibitors treatment improves psychotic symptoms in patients with Alzheimer’s disease &…
How to use Transdermal Selegiline for MDD?
Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs) have not only shown efficacy with treatment resistant depression, but are also found efficacious for the treatment of depression in the…
Understanding Urine Drug Testing for Benzodiazepines
Urine drug tests have become a common method for detecting the presence of drugs in a person’s system. These tests are widely used in various…
Apathy in Alzheimer’s Disease: Basics & Beyond
PSYCHIATRY EDUCATION FORUM ACADEMY’S APATHY IN ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE BASICS & BEYOND Alzheimer’s disease, a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, not only affects memory and cognitive functions but…
Lecanemab: FDA Approved for Early Alzheimer’s Disease
On July 06, 2023: FDA announced the approval of Leqembi (Lecanemab) for adult patients with early Alzheimer’s Disease or mild cognitive impairment. Psychiatry Education Forum…
How to use Pramipexole for Bipolar Depression?
Pramipexole is currently FDA-approved for Parkinson’s disease & Moderate-to-severe primary Restless Legs Syndrome but Pramipexole has promising data as an augmentation option for the management…
Bipolar Disorder Mixed Features: Basics & Beyond
PSYCHIATRY EDUCATION FORUM ACADEMY’S BIPOLAR DISORDER MIXED FEATURES BASICS & BEYOND Bipolar disorder is a chronic mood disorder associated with various mood states including mania,…
Trazodone Once-A-Day (TzOAD) for MDD?
Trazodone belongs to a class of antidepressant medications called serotonin antagonists and reuptake inhibitors (SARIs). Traozodone is used more for insomnia treatment compared to MDD…
Managing Clozapine Adverse Events
Clozapine was FDA-approved for treatment-refractory schizophrenia in 1989 and has remained the gold standard treatment since then for this indication. Clozapine has established efficacy in…
Brixadi: FDA-Approved New Long-Acting Buprenorphine for Opioid Use Disorder
On May 23, 2023: Braeburn announced that FDA has approved Brixadi, the new long-acting formulation of buprenorphine for the opioid use disorder. Now we will…
ADHD Medications with Breastfeeding?
The journey of motherhood is a unique and beautiful experience, but it can also come with its own set of challenges. For mothers diagnosed with…
Risperidone Induced Gynecomastia versus Pseudogynecomastia
Antipsychotic medications play a crucial role in managing mental health conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and certain forms of depression. However, One potential side…
First FDA Approved Medication for Agitation Associated with Alzheimer’s Dementia
On May 11, 2023: FDA announced the approval of Brexpiprazole for the treatment of agitation associated with dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease. This is the…
Binge Eating Disorder: How to Diagnose & Treat?
FEEDING & EATING DISORDER: BINGE EATING DISORDER Lifetime prevalence estimates of DSM-IV anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder are .9%, 1.5%, and 3.5%…
Acute Bipolar Mania: Lithium vs Depakote
Bipolar disorder is a complex mental health condition characterized by recurrent episodes of mania and depression. When a person with bipolar disorder experiences acute manic…
First Two-Monthly Long-Acting Injectable: Abilify Asimtufii®
On April 27, 2023: Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc. (Otsuka) and Lundbeck announced that FDA has approved the New Drug Application for Abilify Asimtufii. This post…
Antipsychotics & Weight Gain: Update 2023
PSYCHIATRY EDUCATION FORUM ACADEMY’S ANTIPSYCHOTICS & WEIGHT GAIN: UPDATE 2023 Dear PEFA Academy Members. We are excited to announce the release of our next educational…
Persistent Complex Bereavement Disorder & Prolonged Grief Disorder
As medical professionals, we are often tasked with helping our patients navigate the complexities of grief and loss. Losing a loved one is a deeply painful…
Cannabis use & Risk of Schizophrenia?
Cannabis use is a highly debated topic in the medical community, and it has been linked to a range of physical and psychological problems, including…
Antipsychotics & Prolactin Level
This journal club will compare the findings of this 2014 study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry with this recent study published in Dec…
Managing Cognitive Impairment after TBI
Cognitive impairment is one of the common outcomes of traumatic brain injury (TBI). TBI can cause damage to different areas of the brain, resulting in…
Anti-NMDAR Encephalitis: What should you know as a Psychiatrist?
Anti-NMDA Receptor Encephalitis This is an autoimmune disorder in which antibodies attack NMDA (N-methyl D aspartate) type glutamate receptors at central neuronal synapses. Psychiatrists should…
Transdermal Asenapine
ANSWER: (d) All of the above. Apply to a different application site each time a new transdermal system is applied. Do not cut the patch.…
Managing Bipolar Disorder in Elderly
PSYCHIATRY EDUCATION FORUM ACADEMY’S LECTURE SERIES: MANAGING BIPOLAR DISORDER IN ELDERLY Bipolar disorder can affect people of all ages, including elderly individuals. However, the symptoms…
Serotonin Syndrome
Serotonin syndrome is considered a psychiatric emergency, characterized by an excess of serotonin in the central nervous system. If left untreated, serotonin syndrome can lead…
Antipsychotics Induced Nocturnal Enuresis
Nocturnal Enuresis, also known as bedwetting, is one of the underrecognized side effects from atypical antipsychotics. A comparative cohort study found that approximately one in…
Psycho-Ophthalmology: Psychotropics Ocular Adverse Events
PSYCHIATRY EDUCATION FORUM ACADEMY’S LECTURE SERIES: Let’s begin by answering these questions first: Answers: Answer to Q1: (c) Nortriptyline Prefer TCAs with low affinity for…
Integrative and Complementary Psychiatry
PSYCHIATRY EDUCATION FORUM ACADEMY’S LECTURE SERIES: INTEGRATIVE & COMPLEMENTARY PSYCHIATRY LECTURE SCHEDULE (1) St. John’s Wort for Depression Mechanism of Action: for St. John’s Wort…
Hydroxychloroquine & Psychotropics Interaction
Hydroxychloroquine is a medication used for the treatment of malaria, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus erythematosus. In 2020, it gained attention as a potential treatment for…
Amazon RxPass: $5/month Generics
We have no financial relationship with Amazon or any other pharmaceutical companies. Amazon Pharmacy has introduced a new feature called RxPass, a $5 prescription subscription…
MDD Augmentation: Low Dose Naltrexone
We finish our lecture series “10 Augmentation Strategies for MDD” with our tenth (and last) lecture on the role of Low Dose Naltrexone as an…
MDD Augmentation: S-Adenosyl Methionine (SAMe)
We continue our lecture series “10 Augmentation Strategies for MDD” with our ninth lecture on the role of SAMe as an augmentation for major depressive…
MDD Augmentation: Pramipexole
We continue our lecture series “10 Augmentation Strategies for MDD” with our eighth lecture on the role of Pramipexole as an augmentation for major depressive…
MDD Augmentation: Buspirone
We continue our lecture series “10 Augmentation Strategies for MDD” with our seventh lecture on the role of Buspirone as an augmentation for major depressive…
MDD Augmentation: Stimulants
We continue our lecture series “10 Augmentation Strategies for MDD” with our sixth lecture on the role of Stimulants as an augmentation for major depressive…
MDD Augmentation: Lamotrigine
We continue our lecture series “10 Augmentation Strategies for MDD” with our fifth lecture on the role of Lamotrigine as an augmentation for major depressive…
MDD Augmentation: L-MethylFolate
We continue our lecture series “10 Augmentation Strategies for MDD” with our fourth lecture on the role of L-MethylFolate as an augmentation for major depressive…
MDD Augmentation: Thyroid Hormone
We continue our lecture series “10 Augmentation Strategies for MDD” with our third lecture on the role of thyroid hormine as an augmentation for major…
MDD Augmentation: Lithium
We continue our lecture series “10 Augmentation Strategies for MDD” with our second lecture on the role of lithium as an augmentation for major depressive…
MDD Augmentation: Atypical Antipsychotics
It is known that close to 50% of patients with major depressive episodes may not achieve remission after the trials of first-line antidepressants, and only…
Thank You for an Incredible 2022!
Thank You for an Incredible 2022! Dear PEFA Academy members, As 2022 comes to a close, we wanted to take a moment to thank you…
Top 10 Viewed Posts in 2022
As we approach the end of 2022, I want to wish you all a safe and Happy New Year. Hope this new year makes all…
Antidepressants Induced Dry Mouth
Xerostomia, commonly referred to as dry mouth syndrome, is a result of reduced or absent salivary flow. Medications are common causes but systemic conditions like…
Cariprazine: New FDA Indication for MDD Augmentation
On Dec 16, 2022: AbbVie announced that FDA has approved Cariprazine as an adjunctive therapy to antidepressants for the treatment of major depressive disorder in…
Augmentation Strategies for Major Depressive Disorder
PSYCHIATRY EDUCATION FORUM ACADEMY’S LECTURE SERIES: MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER: 10 AUGMENTATION STRATEGIES Introduction Psychiatry Education Forum Academy continues to provide high-quality, evidence-based & practice-oriented discussions…
Antidepressants use with Ischemic Heart Disease?
It is well known that ischemic heart disease (IHD) can increase the risk of depression but depression can also increase the risk of IHD. It…
FDA Warning: Lamotrigine Risk with Cardiac Disorders
In 2021: Based on in-vitro studies, FDA added the following Cardiac rhythm and conduction abnormalities warning to lamotrigine package insert: Lamotrigine could cause serious arrhythmias…
Antidepressant use with Hepatitis C?
Before Scrolling Down ==> Submit Your Answer First 🙂 According to this review article published in BMC Gastroenterology: Level 1 Evidence is based on ≥…
Postpartum Onset OCD
During the perinatal period, Women are at an increased risk for the onset and/or exacerbation of obsessive-compulsive disorder. According to a recent study published in…
Journal Club Discussions: ABPN Article Pathway
Psychiatry Education Forum’s Journal Club is an additional feature for our Academy’s members. All academy members will be automatically enrolled in this journal club. In…
Treatment Options for Clozapine-Resistant Schizophrenia?
Clozapine is considered a gold-standard medication for treatment-resistant schizophrenia, but close to 50% of these patients on clozapine may show poor or no response. What…
Managing Bipolar Depression: Basics & Beyond
The Psychopharmacology Algorithm Project at the Harvard South Shore Program published algorithms for bipolar depression in 1999 and 2010. Here is the summary of their…
Grand Rounds: Treatment Options for Clozapine‐Resistant Schizophrenia.
Clozapine is considered a gold-standard medication for treatment-resistant schizophrenia, but close to 40-50% of these patients on clozapine may show poor or no response. What…
Single-Dose Psilocybin for a Treatment-Resistant Depression?
Psychiatry Education Forum Academy is excited to announce the release of Academy’s 19th Journal Club discussion today: This article was published in the NEJM on…
Academy’s Clinical Case Discussions
Psychiatry Education Forum Academy is excited to announce a new feature for our academy members: Clinical Case Discussions In this section, we will discuss the…
Transdermal Selegiline for Treatment-Resistant MDD
Psychiatry Education Forum Academy has released the next clinically relevant discussion today, where Dr. Harvinder Singh has discussed the role of Transdermal Selegiline for depression…
Clozapine & GERD Medications: Drug Interaction
It is clinically relevant to have the knowledge of drug interactions between clozapine and medications used for common medical conditions, as certain medication can lower…
Journal Club 18: Anorexia Nervosa
Psychiatry Education Forum Academy is excited to announce the release of Academy’s 18th Journal Club Discussion: Anorexia Nervosa: How to Evaluate, Diagnose & Treat This…
Autism Spectrum Disorder: Agitation, Irritability & Sensory Sensitivity Management
We know that medications are not the first-line treatment for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) management but they are helpful when first-line behavioral interventions are not…
Can Suvorexant help with Chronic Insomnia?
According to the International Classification of Sleep Disorders (Third Edition), Insomnia is defined as: either trouble initiating or maintaining sleep, associated with daytime consequences, and…
Can Depakote help with Delirium?
Delirium is one of the most commonly encountered psychiatric diagnosis in the hospital setting. Untreated delirium can have significant negative effects on patients’ morbidity and…
Restless Leg Syndrome: How to Diagnose, Evaluate & Treat
Restless leg syndrome is a common neurological condition, which can be easily missed or misdiagnosed as insomnia. On the other hand, most antidepressants and antipsychotics…
Managing Treatment Resistant Depression with Atypical Features
Depression with atypical features is defined as significant mood reactivity combined with two of the following clinical features: Hyperphagia Hypersomnia Leaden paralysis Pathological rejection sensitivity…
Can St. John’s Wort help with Depression?
Psychiatry Education Forum Academy is excited to announce our next presentation’s release date for Sep 10, 2022: WATCH INTRODUCTION VIDEO https://youtu.be/Q01KwQTdTqM There are many plant-based…
Predictors of Suicidal Ideation after Stroke?
Post-stroke depression is considered one of the common neuropsychiatric complications of cerebrovascular stroke, affecting approximately one third of stroke survivors at any one time after…
Auvelity: New Oral Fast Acting FDA Approved Antidepressant
On Aug 19, 2022 Axsome Therapeutics announced the FDA Approval of Auvelity, as the first and Only Oral NMDA Receptor Antagonist for the treatment of…
How to Evaluate Six Neurocognitive Domains in Dementia: Social Cognition
It is important to have knowledge of these six neuro-cognitive domains for the evaluation & diagnosis of dementia subtypes. In this discussion series, Dr. Harvinder…
Lamotrigine Dosing in Pregnancy & Postpartum
Let’s begin by answering this question first: Answer: Gradual increase in dose from first to third trimester; and dose taper within three days of delivery…
Postpartum Psychosis Management?
Postpartum psychosis is a psychiatric emergency that warrants immediate treatment, including admission to ensure the safety of mother and baby. Understanding the treatment algorithm for…
OCD Psychopharmacology Algorithm: 3 Days Lecture Series
Psychiatry Education Forum Academy is announcing our next lecture series, where Dr. David Osser will discuss the psychopharmacology algorithm project’s recent update on the psychopharmacological…
Low Testosterone Level & Depression: Should you check?
Psychiatry Education Forum Academy is excited to announce the release of our 17th journal club discussion. This journal club will focus on this clinically relevant…
Safer Antidepressants with Bleeding Risk?
BEFORE SCROLLING DOWN ==> SUBMIT YOUR ANSWERS FIRST 🙂 . . . . What is the Underlying Mechanism? SSRIs limit uptake of blood serotonin by…
ADHD & Depression: Important Drug Interactions
This question is more directed toward drug-drug interactions and the role of Cytochrome P450: Atomoxetine is metabolized by CYP2D6, so we should avoid medications inhibiting…
Serious Rashes Associated with Mood Stabilizers
Psychiatry Education Forum Academy is excited to announce the following coffee club discussion: SERIOUS RASHES ASSOCIATED WITH MOOD STABILIZERS Presentation by: Dr. Satinder Pal Kaur,…
Medications Affecting Clozapine Level?
Clozapine is indicated for the management of treatment resistant schizophrenia and hence it is likely that patient will also be taking other psychotropic and non-psychotropic…
Varenicline: How to Dose?
According to this article (Expert Opin Drug Discov. 2018;13(7):671-683), people who try to quit nicotine smoking: 80% return to smoking within the first month <…
FDA Authorized Diagnostic Aid for Autism Spectrum Disorder
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is one of the most common developmental disorders. The importance of early ASD diagnosis is of clinical importance, as early interventions…
Can Silexan help with Anxiety?
Silexan is a standardized essential oil of L. angustifolia flowers prepared by steam distillation. This is currently approved in Germany for the management of restlessness…
Steroids Induced Psychiatric Side Effects
STEROIDS & NEUROPSYCHIATRIC ADVERSE EVENTS Neuropsychiatric Adverse Events from Non-Psychiatric Medications Patients on higher doses of steroids can present with affective, behavioral, and cognitive symptoms.…
Gingko Biloba for Antidepressants Induced Sexual Dysfunction?
Can Ginkgo Biloba help with antidepressant-induced sexual dysfunction? WHAT IS THE LIKELY MECHANISM OF ACTION: Prostaglandin synthesis and vasodilation ==> resulting in increase peripheral blood…
Managing Aggression after Traumatic Brain Injury
Traumatic brain injury can significantly impact an individual’s life, in terms of cognitive, behavioral, and physical impairments. Among these, aggression remains the most challenging for…
Omega-3 Fatty Acids for Depression?
Recently Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) have drawn the clinical attention for the treatment of major depressive disorder. The…
Journal Club 16: Lithium use during Pregnancy & Postpartum
Psychiatry Education Forum Academy is excited to release our 16th journal club discussion today. This journal club will focus on this clinically relevant topic of…
OCD: When to Discontinue Treatment?
Let’s begin by answering this question first: APA 2007 guideline recommends that successful medication treatment for OCD be continued for 1–2 years before considering a…
Lithium Adverse Events Management
Psychiatry Education Forum Academy just finished the lecture series on Understanding Lithium’s Adverse Events Management. Here we have discussed the clinical details of how to…
Lithium & Gastrointestinal Side Effects
We continue our lecture series on Lithium Adverse Events Management with the discussion of Lithium Induced Gastrointestinal side effects. Nausea and/or diarrhea are common gastrointestinal…
Lithium Induced Hyperparathyroidism
We continue our lecture series on Lithium Adverse Events Management with the discussion of Lithium Induced Hyperparathyroidism. The first case of Lithium induced hyperparathyroidism was…
Lithium Induced Hypothyroidism
We continue our lecture series on Lithium Adverse Events Management with the discussion of Lithium Induced Hypothyroidism. The antithyroid effects of lithium were recognized in…
Lithium Induced Tremors
We continue our lecture series on Lithium Adverse Events Management with the discussion of Lithium Induced Tremors. Tremors are one of the common side effects…
Lithium Induced Polyuria
Lithium is the oldest mood stabilizer approved for bipolar disorder and still is considered the gold standard treatment. Lithium is not protein bound, is not…
Viloxazine: Non-Stimulant Medication now FDA Approved for Adult ADHD
Viloxazine ER (Qelbree) was initially approved for pediatric ADHD and now had received FDA approval for the management of ADHD in adult patients. We have…
Lithium Adverse Events Management: Academy’s Lecture Series
A patient in his mid 30s was brought to the hospital by police for increased aggression towards his family members. On evaluation he reported a…
Lumateperone Two New Dosages Approved: 21 mg & 10.5 mg
Lumateperone received its first FDA approval for the management of adult schizophrenia in 2019, and recently FDA has just approved this medication for depressive episodes…
Can Gabapentin help with Alcohol Withdrawal Management?
Gabapentin is currently FDA approved for restless leg syndrome, partial-onset seizures, and postherpetic neuralgia. Although not a first-line medication, recently many studies have shown gabapentin…
Trazodone: Basics & Beyond
This post will summarize Trazodone’s mechanism of action and answer the following two questions: What dose of Trazodone is effective for major depression disorder (MDD)…
Urine Drug Test: Phencyclidine
Phencyclidine abuse can cause violent and aggressive behaviors, severe hallucinations, paranoia, and impaired motor skills. Few medications can cause false-positive results can occur for agents…
Urine Drug Tests: Amphetamines
Amphetamine screening tests are most commonly associated with false positive tests and this includes false positive results from psychotropic medications as well. Let’s begin by…
Urine Drug Tests: Benzodiazepines
LECTURE SERIES DAY 3: RELEASED TODAY We continue our lecture series on the “Clinical Interpretation of Urine Drug Tests” with a discussion on the following…
Urine Drug Screen: Opioids
LECTURE SERIES DAY 2: RELEASED TODAY We continue our lecture series on the “Clinical Interpretation of Urine Drug Tests” with a discussion on the following…
Urine Drug Screen: Cannabinoids
LECTURE SERIES DAY 1: RELEASED TODAY Today we begin this clinically relevant lecture series for our academy members with videos on the following two topics:…
IGALMI™ (Dexmedetomidine): First Sublingual Medication FDA Approved for Acute Agitation
Today FDA has approved the first sublingual medication, IGALMI (Dexmedetomidine) for the management of acute agitation in indications discussed below. We have summarized this medication…
Clinical Interpretation of Urine Drug Tests: Journal Club 15
Psychiatry Education Forum Academy has released the complete lecture schedule for our academy members today: CLINICAL INTERPRETATION OF URINE DRUG TESTS It is important to…
Valproate Induced Tremors
Valproate is considered the first-line medication for bipolar disorder management but is known to cause various adverse events. Among these adverse events, tremors are one…
First Weekly Transdermal Patch Approved for Alzheimer’s Dementia: ADLARITY
On March 14, 2022: FDA has approved the first and only once-weekly transdermal patch for Alzheimer’s dementia: Adlarity (Donepezil). Psychiatry Education Forum Academy has summarized…
Parkinson’s Disease & Impulse Control Disorders
Psychiatry Education Forum Academy’s lecture series on “Impulse Control & Self Injurious Behaviors: Pharmacological Management” has released the next lecture today: Parkinson’s Disease & Impulse…
Naltrexone for Impulse Control Management?
Psychiatry Education Forum Academy (PEFA) is excited to announce our next lecture series on “Impulse Control & Self Injurious Behaviors: Pharmacological Management”. Today we released…
Academy Post Summary: Feb 2022
In February 2022, Psychiatry Education Forum Academy added the following 6 clinically relevant chapters. Please let me know if you found them clinically relevant. (1)…
Can NAC help with Cannabis Use Disorder?
Cannabis is one of the commonly used illicit substances. The use has increased further with multiple states legalizing cannabis use in the United States. Cannabis…
Antidepressant Induced Excessive Sweating
Antidepressant-induced excessive sweating (ADIES) is reported in more than 20% of patients taking antidepressants. For this reason, the knowledge on how to identify and manage…
Journal Club 14: Dose-Response Meta-Analysis of Antipsychotics for Acute Schizophrenia
Psychiatry Education Forum Academy is excited to release our next journal club discussion today. This journal club will focus on this clinically relevant topic of…
Journal Club’s New Feature: ABCC Pathway Track
Psychiatry Education Forum’s Journal Club is an additional feature for our Academy’s members. We are excited to announce the release of our new feature in…
Antidepressant use during Lactation?
BEFORE SCROLLING DOWN ==> SUBMIT YOUR ANSWERS FIRST 🙂 Antidepressant treatment is indicated for post-partum depression. For this reason, it is of direct clinical relevance…
Chronic Insomnia Pharmacological Treatment: Practice Guideline
According to the International Classification of Sleep Disorders (Third Edition), Insomnia is defined as: either trouble initiating or maintaining sleep, associated with daytime consequences, and…
Chronic Benzodiazepine Discontinuation: Pharmacological Options
Although benzodiazepines are only indicated for short-term prescription use, a certain percentage of patients can end up on the long-term use resulting in both physiological…
Ulipristal Acetate for PMDD Treatment?
Share This Post Share on facebook Share on linkedin Share on twitter Share on email Close to 70-90 % of reproductive age women are known…
New Sleep Medication Approved: Daridorexant (Quviviq)
On Jan 10, 2022, FDA has approved this new medication for treatment of adults with insomnia: Quviviq (daridorexant). This FDA approval is based on the…
Top 5 Viewed Posts in 2021
On this last day of 2021, let’s review our top 5 viewed posts of this year: Bipolar Disorder Psychopharmacology (1) Restarting Lamotrigine after abrupt Discontinuation…
Comparing FDA Approved Bipolar Depression Medications
Depression in bipolar disorder is considered the most common mood phase and also a major clinical challenge. This is known to cause impairment from being…
Lumateperone: Newest FDA Approved Medication for Bipolar Depression
Dec 20, 2021. We know that Lumateperone received its first FDA approval for the management of adult schizophrenia in 2019, but FDA has just approved…
Comparing Serotonin Modulators: Vortioxetine vs Vilazodone
Serotonin modulators are a class of medications approved for the treatment of the major depressive disorder. Psychiatry Education Forum Academy’s recent chapter will compare these…
Antipsychotic of choice for “Schizo-Obsessive” Disorder?
BEFORE SCROLLING DOWN ==> SUBMIT YOUR ANSWERS FIRST 🙂 There is growing evidence that patients with comorbid obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and schizophrenia may represent a…
Ginkgo Biloba for Antidepressants Induced Sexual Dysfunction
Can Ginkgo Biloba help with antidepressants induced sexual dysfunction? MECHANISM OF ACTION: Prostaglandin synthesis and vasodilation ==> resulting in increase peripheral blood flow and to…
Lithium Induced Diabetes Insipidus: Prevention & Treatment
Lithium is considered the gold standard and first-line treatment for bipolar disorder and is known to have adverse effects on the kidney, thyroid, parathyroid, neurological…
Comparing Long-Acting Methylphenidate: Concerta vs Jornay PM vs Adhansia XR
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common and impairing disorder affecting children, adolescents, and adults. Stimulant class of medications are considered first-line treatment for ADHD, including…
What Features Differentiates Bipolar Depression from MDD?
Q: What Features Differentiate Bipolar Depression from MDD? Bipolar depression is characterized by significantly higher rates of: Psychomotor retardation Difficulty thinking Early morning awakening, morning worsening…
Antidepressant with Renal Impairment?
A 43-year-old male with a history of major depressive disorder is referred to you by his primary care physician for management of depression with the…
How Long to Continue Antidepressants for MDD Treatment?
Once you have initiated antidepressants for MDD (Major Depressive Disorder) treatment and the patient has achieved remission, how long will you continue this current antidepressant…
Bupropion & Risk of Seizures
With the IR formulation, the rate is 0.4% (4/1000) at doses of 300 to 450 mg/day. With the SR formulation, the rate is 0.1% (1/1000)…
Venlafaxine vs Duloxetine: How are they different?
SNRIs: Venlafaxine vs Duloxetine © Psychiatry Education Forum FOR ACADEMY MEMBERS: (1) SNRI use with RENAL impairment This chapter will summarize the dosage adjustment of…
L-Methylfolate for Depression: When to use?
L-MethylFolate is used as an augmentation agent to antidepressants in patients with major depression disorder, but who is a good candidate for considering L-Methylfolate as…
Can we use Lamotrigine with Oral Contraceptives?
The drug interaction between Lamotrigine and Oral Contraceptives is of direct clinical relevance for your daily clinical practice. This topic is summarized in the following…
Augmentation Strategies for Clozapine-Resistant Schizophrenia?
Clozapine is considered a gold-standard medication for treatment-resistant schizophrenia, but close to 50% of these patients on clozapine may show poor or no response. What…
Is Bupropion Effective for Anxiety Disorder (GAD)?
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is a common psychiatric disorder with chronic waxing and waning course for some. Serotonergic medications (SSRIs and SNRIs) are considered first-line…
Valproate Adverse Events Management
Valproate is considered first-line treatment for the management of bipolar disorder with the following recommendations per recent CANMAT & ISBD 2018 guidelines: Acute Mania: First…
Geriatric Psychiatry: Neurocognitive Disorders [PEFA Discussions]
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type/cause of dementia. As we know that FDA recently approved Aducanumab (Aduhelm) for the treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease (read…
Treatment-Resistant MDD: Modafinil Augmentation
Partial response, no response, or residual symptoms following antidepressant therapy is common in clinical psychiatry. Hence, it is of clinical importance to have knowledge of…
Safest Antidepressant with Warfarin?
Answer: (b) Sertraline. Warfarin has two isomers: S-isomer (three times more potent than R-isomer): metabolized by 2C9. R-isomer: metabolized by 1A2 (major) and 2C19 & 3A4 (minor) —> monitor…
Emotional Blunting with Antidepressants Versus Anhedonia from MDD?
Antidepressants are well known to cause this side effects of emotional blunting. It is clinically relevant to diagnose this early in the treatment as this…
Invega Hafyera™ (6-monthly paliperidone palmitate): FDA Approved for Schizophrenia
Sep 01, 2021. Today FDA approved the first and only 6 monthly long-acting injectable for schizophrenia treatment: Invega Hafyera. We have summarized Invega Hafyera clinical…
Topiramate & Cognitive Dulling
Topiramate is well known to cause cognitive dulling and patients should use caution when operating machinery including automobiles. How can we prevent the risk of…
Testosterone & Depression in Men?
Age-associated hypogonadism (testosterone deficit) can occurs in 30% of men after the age of 55 (1). Low testosterone is associated with decreased muscle mass, bone…
How to Screen for Delirium Superimposed on Dementia?
When delirium and dementia coexist: this is referred to as delirium superimposed on dementia (DSD). Delirium and dementia are associated with: lengthier hospital stays functional…
Mood Stabilizers Use During Pregnancy & Postpartum
The perinatal period can increase the risk of mood symptoms recurrence for patients with bipolar disorder, including the risk of depressive episode recurrences and postpartum…
How to Differentiate Obsessions from Delusions?
The presence of obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) and obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD) in schizophrenia is frequent. It is of clinical relevance to separate obsessive symptoms from delusional…
Antidepressant & Tamoxifen use in Breast Cancer?
Depression and anxiety are common comorbidities in breast cancer patients. As a results patients with breast cancer may require treatment with antidepressants. For this reason,…
Attention PEFA Members: Join PEFA Network
Dear PEFA Members. We are excited to release a new update in our academy: PEFA Network. This is a closed group for PEFA members only and…
Antipsychotics & risk of Hypersexual or Paraphilic Behaviors
We know that dopamine agonism can result in hypersexual or paraphilic behaviors but interestingly, case reports for second-generation antipsychotics association with increase in hypersexual behavior…
Traumatic Brain Injury: Management Series [PEFA]
The risk for psychiatric disorders and symptoms can increase after the traumatic brain injury, and long-term disability from TBI has primarily been attributed to neurobehavioral…
Clomipramine for Pediatric OCD?
We know that CBT and SSRI are considered first-line treatments for pediatric OCD management, but few patients are treatment-refractory and they do not respond to…
Cyproheptadine for PTSD Nightmares
The diagnosis of PTSD requires the endorsement of one of two symptoms from the symptom clusters of (1) reexperiencing, (2) avoidance, and (3) sense of…
Memantine for Treatment-Resistant OCD
OCD is a chronic neuropsychiatric disorder that can cause significant psychosocial impairment (Goodman et al., 2021), and delay in treatment is associated with poor outcomes…
Message Each Other: New PEFA Feature
Today we are excited to announce the release of our website’s new feature for PEFA members. Now PEFA members can message each other privately to…
Clomipramine Therapeutic Level
Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) of psychotropic medication is a clinically relevant topic as TDM can be a beneficial test in following clinical scenarios checking medication…
Antipsychotics Induced Edema
Antipsychotic-induced edema is not an uncommon side-effect. In most cases, this can be a transient and self-limited side effect but it is important to know…
How to Evaluate Six Neurocognitive Domains in Dementia? [PUBLISHED]
Psychiatry Education Forum Academy published its next discussion series today: It is important to have knowledge of these six neuro-cognitive domains for the evaluation &…
How to Evaluate Six Neurocognitive Domains in Dementia?
Today we are excited to announce Psychiatry Education Forum Academy’s next discussion with release date for this Saturday (July 24): It is important to have…
Autism Spectrum Disorder: Aggression & Irritability Management
We know that medications are not the first-line treatment for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) management but they are helpful when first-line behavioral interventions are not…
Alzheimer’s Disease: Comparing FDA Approved Medications
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type/cause of dementia. As we know that FDA recently approved Aducanumab (Aduhelm) for the treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease (read…
[PEFA Journal Club]: Claim 4.75 CME Credits
We just finished our 13 journal club discussions at PEFA (Psychiatry Education Forum Academy). PEFA members can claim a maximum of 4.75 AMA PRA Category…
[Journal Club 13 + Coffee Club]: International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ) for PTSD & CPTSD
Today we posted the following 13th journal club in PEFA Journal Club’s discussion series and discussion with an expert in our Coffee Club’s discussion section:…
[Journal Club #12 + Coffee Club]: Is Ketamine Safe with History of Psychosis?
Today we posted the following 12th journal club in PEFA Journal Club’s discussion series and discussion with an expert in our Coffee Club’s discussion section:…
[Journal Club 11 + Coffee Club]: Benzodiazepines & Risk of Subsequent Dementia?
Today we posted the following 11th journal club in PEFA Journal Club’s discussion series and discussion with an expert in our Coffee Club’s discussion section:…
[Journal Club #10]: Antipsychotics & Weight Gain
Today we posted our 10th journal club in PEFA Journal Club’s discussion series, discussing the risk of weight gain with antipsychotics: Journal Club #10: Almost…
[Journal Club #9 + Coffee Club]: Adjunctive Metformin for Antipsychotic-Induced Dyslipidemia.
Today we posted the following 9th journal club in PEFA Journal Club’s discussion series and discussion with an expert in our Coffee Club’s discussion section:…
[Journal Club #8]: Is Vortioxetine Effective for Emotional Blunting in MDD?
Today we posted the eighth journal club in PEFA Journal Club’s discussion series, discussing if Vortioxetine is effective for emotional blunting in MDD after inadequate…
[Journal Club #6 + #7]: Two New Schizophrenia Medications with Novel Mechanism of Action
Today we posted the sixth and seventh journal club in PEFA Journal Club’s discussion series, discussing the following two newer antipsychotics for schizophrenia treatment: (A)…
[Journal Club #5 + Coffee Club]: Comparing 32 Oral Antipsychotics for Acute Schizophrenia Management.
Today we posted the following fifth journal club in PEFA Journal Club’s discussion series and discussion with a expert in our Coffee Club’s discussion section:…
Journal Club #4: How Does Schizophrenia Symptoms Progress with Age?
Today we posted the following fourth journal club in PEFA Journal Club’s discussion series: Journal Club #4: Staging of Schizophrenia With the Use of PANSS:…
Journal Club #3: Bipolar Depression Guidelines: CANMAT & ISBD Versus Psychopharmacology Algorithm Project
Today we posted the following third journal club in PEFA Journal Club’s discussion series: Journal Club #3: The Psychopharmacology Algorithm Project at the Harvard South…
Journal Club #2: Omega-3 Fatty Acids for MDD Treatment (ISNPR Practice Guidelines)
Today we posted the following second journal club in PEFA Journal Club’s discussion series: Journal Club #2: International Society for Nutritional Psychiatry Research Practice Guidelines…
Journal Club #1: Update on Nonpsychotic Unipolar Depression Management
We begin PEFA Journal Club’s updated schedule with our first journal club discussion today: Journal Club #1: The Psychopharmacology Algorithm Project at the Harvard South…
PEFA Journal Club: Updated Schedule Released
Psychiatry Education Forum’s Journal Club is an additional feature for PEF Academy’s members. All academy members will be automatically enrolled in this journal club. Here…
Aducanumab: New Medication FDA Approved for Alzheimer’s Disease
June 07, 2021 Today FDA has approved Aducanumab (Aduhelm) for the treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease. This is the first novel treatment to target the underlying…
LYBALVI™: New Medication FDA Approved for Schizophrenia & Bipolar Disorder
June 01, 2021 Today FDA approved LYBALVI for the treatment of: Schizophrenia in adults Bipolar I disorder in adults Acute treatment of manic or mixed…
PEFA Newsletter: May 2021
PSYCHIATRY EDUCATION FORUM ACADEMY’S NEWSLETTER MAY 2021 Here is the summary of topics posted in the month of May at Psychiatry Education Forum Academy. These…
How do Schizophrenia Symptoms Progress over 40 years?
Today (May 24) is World Schizophrenia Day. The purpose of this day is to increase awareness and reduce the stigma associated with the diagnosis of…
How to Switch Between Valproate Formulations?
Valproate is an FDA approved treatment for bipolar disorder. According to CANMAT and ISBD (2018 guidelines) valproate is indicated for the following phases of bipolar…
Psychological Approaches for Auditory Hallucinations Management
Antipsychotic medications are commonly used to treat auditory hallucinations but it is equally important to teach patients these psychological skills to reduce the distress associated…
Benztropine or Glycopyrrolate: Which one is preferred for Antidepressants Induced Sweating?
Glycopyrrolate is preferred over Benztropine for the following reasons: for Glycopyrrolate is less known to cross the blood-brain barrier, hence less central adverse events (less…
Medications vs Psychotherapy for MDD: Comparing 5 Major Guidelines
How do you decide between psychotherapy versus medications for the treatment of major depressive disorder? Depression severity is one of the criteria used to make…
Psychotropics & Risk of Tinnitus
Tinnitus is defined as the conscious awareness of a sound in the absence of an external auditory stimulus. Psychotropic medications are commonly used as the…
Naltrexone XR: When & How to Initiate?
Naltrexone XR is an opioid antagonist, which is FDA approved for opioid use disorder. The main benefits of naltrexone-XR are: extended duration of its action…
Pseudobulbar Affect: Identify & Manage
Psychiatry Education Forum Academy’s Coffee Club contains short discussions with clinical experts in the field of psychiatry. Coffee Club’s goal is to get answers for clinically…
Lumateperone: Mechanism of Action?
Lumateperone is the most recently approved FDA-approved medication for the treatment of schizophrenia. Watch the following short video discussion from our journal club regarding the…
Lithium Induced Polyuria: Laboratory Evaluation
Watch the following short 5 minutes video from Psychiatry Education Forum’s Bipolar Disorder Update 2020 Conference. This video will briefly discuss the important laboratory workup…
Psychiatry Education Forum Featured on Psychiatric News.
Thanks to Psychiatric News for covering Psychiatry Education Forum’s Bipolar Disorder Update 2020 Conference. Here is Dr. Harvinder Singh’s interview on Bipolar Disorder Mixed Features:…
Treatment-Resistant GAD: 8 Augmentation & 12 Switching Options
Psychiatry Education Forum Academy will publish a detailed lecture on the management options for treatment-resistant GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder) tomorrow: April 18 (Sunday). This detailed…
Genetic Testing in Psychiatry: MTHFR & L-MethylFolate
MTHFR gene encodes for MethyleneTetraHydroFolate Reductase (MTHFR) enzyme. It is important to have the knowledge of the following two MTHFR polymorphisms for you to interpret…
GAD: Initial Medication of Choice?
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is a common psychiatric disorder with chronic waxing and waning course for some. Psychiatry Education Forum Academy will summarize the pharmacological…
PEF Clinical Fact: Antipsychotic of Choice in COVID & Pneumonia
INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE? JOIN PSYCHIATRY EDUCATION FORUM ACADEMY MEMBERSHIP This educational activity is dedicated to the essential and must-know clinical facts regarding the interaction…
Restless Legs with Antidepressants?
Restless leg syndrome is defined as having following four essential clinical consensus criteria: (a) Compelling urge to move the legs with or caused by uncomfortable…
Can L-Theanine Help with Anxiety Management?
Share this post Share on facebook Share on google Share on twitter Share on linkedin Share on pinterest Share on print Share on email L-theanine…
Propranolol for TBI
PROPRANOLOL FOR TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY Traumatic brain injury can significantly impact an individual’s life, in terms of cognitive, behavioral, and physical impairments. Among these, aggression…
Top 5 Psychiatry Articles Discussed on PEF
Happy New Year to all PEF Followers I want to thank you all for following Psychiatry Education Forum and giving me the encouragement to continue…
Role of ANK3 in Bipolar Disorder
Share this post Share on facebook Share on google Share on twitter Share on linkedin Share on pinterest Share on print Share on email Ankyrin-3…
Asenapine: Transdermal vs Sublingual?
ASENAPINE: TRANSDERMAL VS SUBLINGUAL This post will summarize the key differences between the transdermal and sublingual formulation of asenapine in the following 10 minutes of…
Lithium & Renal Damage: Prevention?
How to Minimize Renal Damage Risk with Chronic Lithium Use? <img width=”768″ height=”854″ src=”https://psychiatryeducationforum.com/project1/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/02889320-0192-4269-938a-0f27a483c3f2-copy-768×854.jpg” alt=”” loading=”lazy” srcset=”https://i1.wp.com/www.psychiatryeducationforum.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/02889320-0192-4269-938a-0f27a483c3f2-copy.jpg?resize=768%2C854&ssl=1 768w, https://i1.wp.com/www.psychiatryeducationforum.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/02889320-0192-4269-938a-0f27a483c3f2-copy.jpg?resize=270%2C300&ssl=1 270w, https://i1.wp.com/www.psychiatryeducationforum.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/02889320-0192-4269-938a-0f27a483c3f2-copy.jpg?w=813&ssl=1 813w” sizes=”(max-width: 768px) 100vw,…
Role of NAC for Treatment-Resistant OCD
ROLE OF NAC FOR TREATMENT-RESISTANT OCD This is a short 5-minute video from <a href=”https://psychiatryeducationforum.teachable.com/p/conference1″ target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>Psychiatry Education Forum’s 1st CME Conference</a>. Here I…
Grinding your Teeth in Depression
We all know about the risk of extrapyramidal symptoms with the use of antipsychotics. A similar risk can also be seen with antidepressants, but this…
Psychotherapy of Choice for PTSD?
FOR PHYSICIAN’S GUIDE FOR CLINICAL PSYCHIATRY SUBSCRIBERS: (Read Chapter 11.1): VA/DOD Clinical Practice Guidelines for PTSD and Acute Stress Disorder. This chapter will summarize these…