schizophrenia and the drug Chlorpromazine Answer each question in the report as a separate numbered paragraph. Reference your report using numbered references in parentheses. Include a list of citations as the second to last page of your report. You must use a minimum of 4 references For this report, a copy of the patient information (this is information that the patient needs to know when taking this drug) must be included at the end of your report (after citations). 1. State the disease or condition you have decided to contract, describe its symptoms, and how it was diagnosed. In your own words describe what physiologically is wrong with your body, and explain how it results in the symptoms you have. (maximum of 500 words) 2. Choose a prescription medication that you will take to treat this disease or condition. In your own words describe how this drug “works”: Does the drug cure the disease or only alleviate the symptoms? What is the mechanism by which this drug either cures the disease or relieves the symptoms? (maximum of 500 words) 3 What are the potential side-effects of this drug? Choose 2 of these side-effects and explain why you think they occur. (maximum 400 words) 4. Describe an alternate drug for your disease. Does the alternate drug work the same way or differently than the drug you discussed in question 2? (maximum 300 words) 5. How is the drug you discussed in question 2 given, and are there any particular instructions concerning how to take the drug (e.g., time of day, with or without food, etc)? Why do you think the drug is given in a particular manner or with particular precautions, and what effect might it have if you skip a dose or don’t follow instruction? (maximum 200 words) 6. Obtain and read the patient information for the drug you discussed in question 3. (Hints on obtaining this information: a) in whatever browser you use, type in “drug name patient information”; or b) go to the website of the company that makes that drug and search it there) Is it clearly written? Is the information useful to you as a patient? Are there any parts that you, as an informed consumer, don’t understand? Do you have any suggestions to improve this insert? You MUST attach a copy of the patient information as the last page. (maximum 200 words)

 

Schizophrenia Disorder

Student’s Name

Institution Affiliation

Course

Date of Submission

 

 

Question One

Schizophrenia is regarded as one of the severe mental disorders that affect a person’s capacity to think in a precise manner, control his or her emotions, and make effective decisions and activities relate to other people. The disorder has been viewed to be complicated and prolonged, and that have affected close to one percent of the entire American population. This ailment can occur at any age; however, it has been approximated that it typically affects the youth to the early 20s for the males and the late 20s to early 30s in females. Moreover, it is a rare situation for the disorder to be prescribed in an individual with the ages lower than 12 or older than 35; even though, it is also possible for a person to live a comfortable life with the disease.

This disorder has no symptoms for the teens since the primary signs may incorporate changing of friends, slump in the performance degree, sleeping difficulties, and irritability-common and nonspecific adolescent characters. Other symptoms that are likely to be seen include withdrawing from oneself and others, a high degree of abnormal judgment and doubts, and a family background of psychosis (Bowie et al., 2010). However, for the teenagers who develop the disorder, this stage of the disease is referred to as “prodromal” stage. With the outlined conditions, it is essential for a person to seek medical evaluation.

For the diagnosis of the ailment, some symptoms can be present in the context of lowered functioning for close to six months. Firstly, hallucination is a symptom that makes one hear voices, observing things, or inhaling things that other people cannot recognize. The sounds produced in illusions can be serious and threaten and typically may engage people who are known or unfamiliar to the individual hearing them. Secondly, another symptom for one to be diagnosed with schizophrenia is delusions which are beliefs that are permanent to a person despite being engaged with new ideas or facts (Bowie et al., 2010). Individuals with delusions usually have issues of concentrations and confused reasoning. Personally, the reasoning capacity tends to be low when arguing with classmates about education matters. This is a sign of delusion that is typically associated with schizophrenia disease.

Questions Two

Schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders can be cured through the use of chlorpromazine. The medication is also consumed to cure cruel behavior difficulties such as unstable, hostile characters and overreactions in teenagers of 1 to 13 years of age. The drug can still be used along with other medications to cure tetanus which is a severe disease that causes the jaw muscles to tighten (Dempster et al., 2011). Moreover, the drug can still be applied to cure delicate irregular porphyria which is a state in which given ordinary substance builds up in the human body and results into stomach pains, alters the judgment and actions, and various signals. The drug falls in a group of medical substances known as predictable antipsychotics and operates through altering the actions of multiple normal substances in the mind and other parts of the human body.

Chlorpromazine is a kind of medicine known as a phenothiazine antipsychotic and is consumed with the intention of curing different psychiatric ailments and also used in the control of nausea and vomiting linked with terminal diseases. The drug works by blocking many receptors in the human brain more so the dopamine receptors (Doucet et al., 2011). These receptors are involved in transferring information between the brain cells. Dopamine is also known for controlling temper and actions amongst other things. Psychotic ailments more so schizophrenia is stimulated by the overactivity of dopamine in the human mind; therefore, chlorpromazine destroys the receptors that the dopamine depends on thus preventing the excess activity in mind.

Since there is no cure for this disorder, chlorpromazine is only consumed as a method of alleviating the symptoms where it will only improve the disturbed thoughts, feeling, and behavior in different mental conditions. These conditions include schizophrenia, mania, and other behavioral diseases that engage aggression or intense anxiety or excitement, therefore, producing a cooling effect that lowers aggressiveness, delusion, and hallucination (Dempster et al., 2011). Furthermore, the tablets are used for the prolonged control of psychotic statuses such as schizophrenia and temporary control of intense nervousness and rigorously agitated, violent or dangerous characters. The dopamine receptors in the brain will also control vomiting and nausea where vomiting is regulated by a part of the brain referred to as vomiting center. This center is in charge for producing thoughts of illness and the vomiting reflex and becomes active immediately it receives nerve signals from a given area in the brain referred to as chemoreceptor trigger zone (CTZ).

Question Three

According to Kanis, J. M., & Timm, N. L. (2014), some of the intense side effects of chlorpromazine are likely to occur with higher intensity in people with unique medical issues. The medicine is expected to cause a drop in the blood pressure when the patient continually moves from lying down or changing the sitting position which can either be prolonged standing or sitting.  This is a side effect that is likely to be noticed more so when the patient starts consuming the drug or if he or she is old enough. It is expected to make one dizzy or unsteady and therefore to avoid this, it is recommended that the patient should get up slowly and if he feels dizzy, then he or she should lie down until the symptoms go away. Moreover, the high doses of chlorpromazine are likely to make an individual’s skin to be more sensitive to sunlight than the typical reactions. This side effect can be regulated through avoiding direct exposure to the sunlight or sunlamps until it reaches a time when the patient knows how his or her skin reacts to sunlight. It is also advised that one should use a sunscreen lotion or make sure the surface is protected with clothing (Kanis & Timm, 2014). Chlorpromazine is likely to cause rare but intense skin sensation in a person who continually handles the drug. It thus recommended that the drug tablets should not be broken or crushed and avoid prolonged contact of the tablets with the skin.

Question Four

An alternative medication for schizophrenia includes the use of thioxanthenes which are typical antipsychotic medications that are structurally related to phenothiazines and works as a dopamine receptor antagonist through lowering the effects of dopamine in the brain. The drug has a high resemblance to dopamine receptor as compared to the similarities of adrenergic receptors (Khademvatan et al., 2014). The medication should be consumed with the concept of a medical practitioner, and its consumption should not be stopped since it is likely to worsen some of the signs and symptoms of the schizophrenia disorder.  However, it is significant to know that chlorpromazine and thioxanthene are graded as antipsychotic drugs used to treat people suffering from schizophrenia. Thioxanthene is likely to have an advantage over chlorpromazine since it is more effective in curing the disorder and provides optimal care for the patients. Consequently, it is essential to know that the choice of any antipsychotic prescribed relies upon what is being cured, how intense the symptoms are and if there is an existence of any other health issues. Therefore, the difference in the practical nature of the two medications can also be attributed to sedating degree of each drug.

 

Question Five

Chlorpromazine can be administered through tablets or given as an injection into the body vein after dilution or into the muscle. The patient is recommended to remain lying down for close to forty-five minutes after the dose has been administered to allow sufficient flow of the drug into various brain cells (Khademvatan et al., 2014). During the treatment of mental and emotional status, it is likely to take close to two weeks for the full effect of this drug. Before consuming this medication, it is essential for one to let his or her doctor know the past medical history more so of very high or very low blood pressure and liver or heart malfunctions. The patient should also avoid any hard work or exercise in a hot surrounding. The medication is given in such a manner to prevent serious side effects that might result into death and if one fails to follow the instructions provided by the doctor; the consequences might be extraordinary that can also result in death.

Question Six

A patient’s information leaflet is typically included in the patients pack with the medicine and instructs the user on how the medication should be consumed or used. About the information contained in the leaflet on how to use chlorpromazine as a psychotic drug, the data is written and straight to the points and directions. The brochure includes all instructions that are significant in the use of the drug; for instance, what chlorpromazine dozes are and what they are used for, how to consume the pills, possible side effects, and how to store the drugs.

 

References

Bowie, C. R., Depp, C., McGrath, J. A., Wolyniec, P., Mausbach, B. T., Thornquist, M. H., … & Pulver, A. E. (2010). Prediction of real-world functional disability in chronic mental disorders: a comparison of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. American Journal of Psychiatry, 167(9), 1116-1124.

Dempster, E. L., Pidsley, R., Schalkwyk, L. C., Owens, S., Georgiades, A., Kane, F., … & Murray, R. M. (2011). Disease-associated epigenetic changes in monozygotic twins discordant for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Human molecular genetics, 20(24), 4786-4796.

Doucet, S., Jones, I., Letourneau, N., Dennis, C. L., & Blackmore, E. R. (2011). Interventions for the prevention and treatment of postpartum psychosis: a systematic review. Archives of women’s mental health, 14(2), 89-98.

Kanis, J. M., & Timm, N. L. (2014). Chlorpromazine for the treatment of migraine in a pediatric emergency department. Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain, 54(2), 335-342.

Khademvatan, S., Khajeddin, N., Izadi, S., & Yousefi, E. (2014). Investigation of anti-Toxocara and anti-Toxoplasma antibodies in patients with schizophrenia disorder. Schizophrenia research and treatment, 2014.

 

Sample Patient Information

Chlorpromazine 20mg, 50mg, 80mg

PACKAGE LEAFLET: INFORMATION FOR THE USER

Chlorpromazine 20mg, 50mg, 80mg

Please read this entire leaflet carefully before using this drug since it has essential information for you:

• Store this leaflet for future reference
• Any further questions should be directed to the doctor
• This drug has been prescribed strictly for your usage. Should not be passed to others since it may harm them if their signs of the disease resemble yours.
• If you experience any side effect, please contact your doctor

What the leaflet contains

1. What Chlorpromazine Tablets contains and how they are used
2. Things you need to know before consuming the drug
3. How to consume the medication
4. Possible side effects
5. Storage procedure
6. Contents of the pack and other data

 

1. What Chlorpromazine Tablets contains and how they are used

The drug belongs to a category of drugs called phenothiazines which alters the central nervous system and is used to cure the following conditions: schizophrenia and other psychoses such as paranoia.

1. Things you need to know before consuming the drug

Do not take the medication and consult your doctor if

• You experiences allergy
• Have a low number of blood cells
• Are breast-feeding
• Taking citalopram
• Have urine problem
• Have less blood cells

Warnings and precautions

Communicate with your doctor before taking the medication if

• You or another person in your family have a history of blood clots
• You might having a liver problem
• You have a heart failure
• You have hypothyroidism