Medication Management
Managing your medication is an important way of ensuring you experience the best possible results from your treatment and keep risks to a minimum. Barry J. Richman, MD, is a board-certified psychiatrist who specializes in diagnosing and treating a variety of mental health problems at his clinic in Manhattan, New York, and has considerable experience in reviewing patient medication to ensure optimal results. Call Barry J. Richman MD Psychiatry today to arrange a consultation, or book an appointment online.
What is medication management?
Medication management is an important aspect of psychiatric treatment and mental health care, where Dr. Richman regularly reviews your medication to make sure that you are taking the most appropriate medicines at the optimum dose. You may also need to take medications for other health conditions, which may have an effect on your psychiatric medication.
New medications and updates to existing drug information can mean that you would be better off changing your medications or altering the dosage. There may be drugs on your prescription which you no longer need, or the ones that you are taking could be causing side effects. Many factors can change over time, so it is vital to manage your medications to maximize their effectiveness and reduce potential undesirable side effects.
Why do I need to take medications?
Medications have a vital role to play in treating many types of mental illness, most often in conjunction with psychotherapy or talking therapies.
Medications used in psychiatry include:
- SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors)
- SNRIs (selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors)
- Bupropion
- Tricyclic and tetracyclic antidepressants
- MAOIs (monoamine oxidase inhibitors)
- Anti-anxiety medications (typically benzodiazepines)
- Stimulants (most often used for ADHD)
- Antipsychotics (neuroleptics) and atypical antipsychotics
- Mood stabilizers
- Anticonvulsant medications
Dr. Richman makes his recommendations for each patient’s treatment plan according to their individual needs and circumstances to ensure they receive the most effective dose of medication. It is important to stay safe when using prescription drugs, as some drugs can be harmful if you don’t take the correct dose, or if you have an allergy to the medication.
What unwanted effects can medication have?
All medications carry a degree of risk. In some cases, it’s a minor or rare side effect, while with others, there can be more serious risks. Whenever he prescribes a particular medication, Dr. Richman carefully explains what the drug does and any risks associated with it, and asks you to report any side effects that you notice when taking the medication.
You may just need to have the dose adjusted, or you may be better suited to a different medication. Everyone responds to drugs differently, and this is particularly true of psychiatric medications. For example, you may not notice any improvement in your depression when taking one kind of SSRI, but find significant benefit from taking a different kind of SSRI. However, for another patient, the reverse could be true.
To arrange a medicine management consultation, call Barry J. Richman MD Psychiatry today, or book an appointment online.
