A 34-year-old man was diagnosed with depression several weeks ago and began taking citalopram (Celexa) 10 days ago
He has now scheduled an appointment at the clinic and has told the nurse that he intends to stop taking the drug, stating, "I don't feel any less depressed than I did before I started taking these pills." How should the nurse best respond to the patient's statement? A) "I'll pass that information along to your care provider; a different drug might be more appropriate for you."
B) "I'd encourage you to continue with the drug; it can take several weeks before it improves your mood."
C) "People who take this drug often think they don't feel better because the changes in mood are incremental and subtle."
D) "It could be that one of the other medications or supplements you're taking is negating the effects of Celexa."
B
Feedback:
Steady-state blood levels of SSRIs are achieved slowly, over several weeks. This aspect of pharmacokinetics is more likely than a possible drug interaction. The patient should expect to sense an eventual improvement in mood, and it would be premature to change medications.
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