A patient who is a recovering alcoholic has been diagnosed as having panic attacks. The psychiatrist mentions plans to treat the patient with daily doses of medication

Question

Of the medications listed below, for which drug should the nurse plan patient teaching? a. Paroxetine (Paxil)
b. Alprazolam (Xanax)
c. Chlorpromazine (Thorazine)
d. Propranolol (Inderal)

Answer 1

A
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are first-line drugs for the treatment of panic disorder. Both paroxetine and sertraline are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for treatment of panic disorder. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are nonaddicting and have a relatively low incidence of unpleasant side effects. Also useful are tricyclic antidepressants, such as imipramine, which are more useful than the benzodiazepines, because they are nonaddicting. Alprazolam is a benzodiazepine and as such is prone to abuse and can cause addiction; it would not be the drug of choice for a patient who has a problem of chemical dependency. Chlorpromazine is a neuroleptic and not useful for treating panic disorder. Propranolol is more often used in the treatment of social phobias.