Chapter 15: Antidepressant Drugs Already Passed

A patient taking tranylcypromine (Parnate) is being changed to fluoxetine (Prozac). The nurse schedules a time lapse between the last dose of Parnate and the first dose of Prozac of at least: a. 7 days. b. 14 days. c. 21 days. d. 30 days. {Ans: ANS: B Because of the long half-life of monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), the washout period before beginning SSRI administration is 2 weeks. One week is too short an interval, and the longer times are unnecessary.}When teaching about tranylcypromine (Parnate), the nurse should consider it a priority to: a. provide a list of tyramine-rich foods. b. instruct the patient to avoid direct sunlight. c. advise the patient to manage fever with acetaminophen. d. direct the patient to report dry mouth and blurred vision. {Ans: ANS: A MAOIs and ingested tyramine interact to produce hypertensive crisis, a life-threatening medical emergency, so it is necessary to teach the patient foods to avoid. The other options are unrelated to Parnate therapy.}Patients taking tricyclic antidepressants exhibit more side effects than patients taking SSRIs because TCAs: a. inhibit reuptake of norepinephrine and serotonin. b. selectively inhibit dopamine reuptake. c. selectively block serotonin uptake. d. block enzymatic breakdown. {Ans: