Today's
medicines are more complex and powerful than ever before.
Be sure you check with your Dr. before starting, changing, or
adjusting your medication. You should also consult your pharmasist
on interactions and medication reference sheets for the lates
information on a drug. You should research the important information
you need to use medications safely and effectively because...medication
myths can cause you real harm. (read
more)
Like
any pharmacological treatment, Tourette medications do
not produce the same effect in everyone. Some people
may respond better to one medication than another. Some may need
larger dosages than others do. Some have side effects, and others
do not. Age, sex, body size, body chemistry, physical illnesses
and their treatments, diet, and habits such as smoking are some
of the factors that can influence a medication's effect.
Dr.
David E. Comings M.D. notes that many Tourette patients may respond
to very low doses of a medication used to treat a Tourette symptom.
Using the lowest dose possible to treat the symptom will give
less side effects and in many cases be more effective.
Tourette
Syndrome & Associated Disorders
Medication Reference
The
provided
Tourette
Syndrome and associated disorders medication reference covers
some prescribed medications for the treatment of: Tourette Syndrome
TS, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder OCD, Anxiety, Depression, and
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ADHD, and other conditions
included. They are current and up to date as provided with permission
of Dr.
Kevin Leehey, M.D.
The
following medications are presented in a Physician's Desk Reference
like format featuring expected therapeutic effects, drug interactions
and information about interactions with other drugs. This
is not a complete list.
Other
Tourette Syndrome Medication References:
TS
101 - Some medications and Tardive dyskinesia.
Internet
Mental Health
Pharmacological
Treatment of Tourette Syndrome
Medline
Plus Medication References
HIMH
National Institue of Mental Health
Yahoo
Drug Index
HerbMed
Herbal List
Special
Medication Message
It
is important for you to be well informed about medications you
may need. You should know what medications you take and the dosage,
and learn everything you can about them. Many medications now
come with patient package inserts, describing the medication,
how it should be taken, and side effects to look for. When you
go to a new doctor, always take with you a list of all of the
prescribed medications (including dosage), over-the-counter medications,
and vitamin, mineral, and herbal supplements you take. The list
should include herbal teas and supplements such as St. John's
wort, echinacea, ginkgo, ephedra, and ginseng. Almost any substance
that can change behavior can cause harm if used in the wrong amount
or frequency of dosing, or in a bad combination. Drugs differ
in the speed, duration of action, and in their margin for error.
If
you are taking more than one medication, and at different times
of the day, it is essential that you take the correct dosage of
each medication. An easy way to make sure you do this is to use
a 7-day pillbox, available in any pharmacy, and to fill the box
with the proper medication at the beginning of each week. Many
pharmacies also have pillboxes with sections for medications that
must be taken more than once a day.
Children
and Tourette Medications
When
the decision is reached that a child should take medication, active
monitoring by all caretakers (parents, teachers, and others who
have charge of the child) is essential. Children should be watched
and questioned for side effects because many children, especially
younger ones, do not volunteer information. They should also be
monitored to see that they are actually taking the medication
and taking the proper dosage on the correct schedule.
Based
on clinical experience and medication knowledge, a physician may
prescribe to young children a medication that has been approved
by the FDA for use in adults or older children. This use of the
medication is called "off-label." Most medications prescribed
for childhood mental disorders, including many of the newer medications
that are proving helpful, are prescribed off-label because only
a few of them have been systematically studied for safety and
efficacy in children. Medications that have not undergone such
testing are dispensed with the statement that "safety and
efficacy have not been established in pediatric patients."
The FDA has been urging that products be appropriately studied
in children and has offered incentives to drug manufacturers to
carry out such testing. The National Institutes of Health and
the FDA are examining the issue of medication research in children
and are developing new research approaches.
•
Treatments for Tourette
Syndrome
•
Alternative Treatments
for Tourette Syndrome
•
Progressive Treatments
for Tourette Syndrome
Kevin
Leehey, M.D. Tucson, Arizona
Child, Adolescent, and Adult Psychiatry Board Certified
www.leeheymd.com
David
E. Comings, M.D.
HopePress.com
HIMH
National Institue of Mental Health
Detailed
Booklet
ASHP
American Society of Health-System Pharmacists
SafeMedication.com
Tourette
Syndrome & Associated Disorders Medication Reference
