Medication Side Effects (medication + side_effects)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Persistent attentional dysfunction in remitted bipolar disorder

BIPOLAR DISORDERS, Issue 2 2001
Kelly E Wilder-Willis
Objectives: Although previous research has shown that attentional dysfunction is common during acute mood episodes in individuals with bipolar disorder (BPD), few studies have examined whether attentional deficits are evident during periods of symptom stability. The goal of this study was to determine whether clinically stable individuals with BPD would have attentional disturbances relative to healthy subjects. Methods: Fourteen patients with BPD and 12 healthy comparison subjects participated in the study, and were administered the Degraded Stimulus Continuous Performance Test (DSCPT), Digit Span Distractibility Test (DSDT) and Grooved Pegboard Test (GPT). Psychiatric symptoms were assessed with the Young Mania Rating Scale and the Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms. Medication side effects were measured with the Simpson Rating Scale. Results: The patient group responded significantly more slowly than the control group on the DSCPT (z=,2.52, p=0.01) and the GPT (z=,3.37, p=0.001). There was a trend towards the BPD patients demonstrating impaired perceptual sensitivity on the DSCPT (z=1.68, p=0.09). The two groups did not differ on the DSDT (z=,1.06, p=0.3). Poor performance on the GPT and DSCPT target reaction time were not associated with symptom ratings or medications. Conclusion: The findings suggest that impairments in fine motor skills and reaction time may be present in clinically stable patients with BPD, even after accounting for psychiatric symptoms and medication effects. Performance decrements on attentional tasks may be in part reflective of motor impairments in patients with BPD. [source]


Migraine Prevention: What Patients Want From Medication and Their Physicians (A Headache Specialty Clinic Perspective)

HEADACHE, Issue 5 2006
Todd D. Rozen MD
Objective.,To document the results of a migraine patients survey, from a headache specialty clinic, in which patients were asked to rank, in order of importance, certain characteristics of migraine preventive treatment. Methods.,A 10-question survey was completed by 150 patients (114 females and 36 males) with a history of migraine who presented to the Michigan Head Pain & Neurological Institute. The patients were asked to rank, in order of importance, characteristics of migraine preventive treatment. Each characteristic was rated individually on a 1 to 10 scale (1 being of little importance and 10 being extremely important). The mean rating of each characteristic was then calculated and the results analyzed. Results/Discussion.,From this migraine preventive treatment survey, the most important thing to migraineurs, from a headache specialty clinic population, is that the prescribing physician involves them in the decision making of choosing a preventive agent. The physician taking time to explain the possible medication side effects is the second most highly ranked characteristic. Migraine preventives with published efficacy in the medical literature are also deemed very important. Migraineurs do not mind using more than 1 preventive agent at one time if greater efficacy can be achieved. Agents that may affect weight and /or cause sedation may be important factors as to why patients (especially females) may not want to take a preventive medication. Natural therapies and once-daily dosing are ranked lower overall but still are important characteristics of preventive treatment. Some gender differences are noted in the ranking of migraine preventive characteristics. [source]


Barriers to adherence among adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease

INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASES, Issue 1 2010
Rachel Neff Greenley PhD
Abstract Background: The purpose of this study was to describe barriers to adherence among adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and to examine demographic, disease-related, and treatment regimen-related correlates of adherence barriers using a multimethod reporting strategy. A final goal was to examine relationships between the frequencies of barriers and levels of nonadherence. Methods: In all, 64 adolescents (ages 11,18) participated, along with 61 mothers and 25 fathers. Barriers to adherence and ratings of medication adherence were assessed via patient and parent reports. Disease activity ratings were provided by pediatric gastroenterologists. Results: Lack of time and medication side effects were commonly reported barriers across adolescent, mother, and father reports. Other adolescent-reported barriers included missing medication due to feeling well or discontinuing medication based on the belief that the medication was not working. The prevalence of adherence barriers was not consistently associated with adolescent age, sex, time since diagnosis, or disease activity. Adolescents whose regimen involved more than 1 daily medication administration had more adherence barriers based on adolescent and maternal report than did those whose regimen involved 1 or less than 1 daily medication administration. Finally, adherence barriers were significantly higher among families reporting imperfect adherence as compared to those reporting perfect adherence. Conclusions: Barriers to medication adherence do exist among adolescents with IBD and may have negative implications for medication adherence. Systematic assessment of barriers during routine medical appointments may help to identify and modify these barriers and ultimately improve adherence. Inflamm Bowel Dis 2010 [source]


Effects of clinical factors on psychosocial variables in renal transplant recipients

JOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 12 2009
Hongxia Liu
Abstract Title.,Effects of clinical factors on psychosocial variables in renal transplant recipients. Aim., This paper is a report of a study investigating the effects of clinical factors (side effects of immunosuppressive medications, transplant-related hospitalizations, donor type, duration of dialysis before transplantation and time post-transplant) on cognitive appraisal of health, perceived self-efficacy, perceived social support, coping and health-related quality of life after renal transplantation. Background., Some clinical factors such as hospitalizations, side effects of medications, donor type and dialysis, which influence the health-related quality of life of renal transplant recipients, have been investigated. However, the effects of these clinical factors on psychosocial variables after renal transplantation have not been well documented. Method., Using a descriptive cross-sectional design, a convenience sample of 160 renal transplant recipients was recruited (N = 55 < 1 year post-transplant; N = 105 1,3 years post-transplant) from May, 2005 to January, 2006. Standardized instruments were used to measure the key constructs. Multivariate analysis of variance was used to examine the effects of clinical factors on the psychosocial outcome measures. Results., Participants reporting more (>17) immunosuppressive medication-associated side effects appraised their health more negatively, used more disengagement coping, had lower degrees of perceived self-efficacy, and reported lower physical and mental health-related quality of life than those with fewer symptoms (,17). Participants less than 1 year post-transplant used more engagement coping, reported higher degrees of perceived self-efficacy and perceived social support than participants in the later period post-transplant. Conclusion., Interventions aimed at alleviating bothersome medication side effects are needed to help these patients cope with transplantation and improve their health-related quality of life. [source]


Subjective side effects of antipsychotics and medication adherence in people with schizophrenia

JOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 3 2009
Terence V. McCann
Abstract Title., Subjective side effects of antipsychotics and medication adherence in people with schizophrenia. Aim., This paper is a report of a study conducted to describe the prevalence of antipsychotic medication side effects in individuals with schizophrenia, and to assess if a relationship existed between side effects and medication-taking. Background., Non-adherence to antipsychotics is common in people with schizophrenia. There is a direct relationship between non-adherence and relapse, but it is unclear if an association exists between side effects and non-adherence. Method., The Liverpool University Neuroleptic Side-effect Rating Scale was used with a convenience sample of 81 mental health service users with schizophrenia. Participants were recruited from one urban and one rural area in Australia in 2004. Data were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Science and nonparametric statistical methods based on the nature of data. Findings., Around 20% of participants had missed taking their medication at least once in the week before data collection. About half experienced one or more side effects, but the level of accumulated side effects was not associated with medication omission. Older participants were more likely to experience anticholinergic and allergic side effects than their younger counterparts. Younger women were more likely to experience hormone-related side effects than older women. Overall, medication omission was not statistically significantly correlated with any of the seven Liverpool University Neuroleptic Side-effect Rating Scale subscales. Conclusion., Greater attention needs to be paid to age- and gender-specific side effects and to monitoring side effects in people prescribed atypical medication antipsychotics. Service users, case managers and prescribers may need additional training to assist them to identify side effects and to take steps to ameliorate or at least minimize their effects. [source]


Risk profiles for non-adherence to antipsychotic medications

JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC & MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, Issue 8 2008
T. V. MCCANN rmn rgn phd ma ba dipnurs (lond) rnt rcnt
Poor adherence to medications is common in individuals with schizophrenia, and can lead to relapse and re-hospitalization. This paper presents the findings of an Australian study of the factors affecting antipsychotic medication taking in individuals with schizophrenia. The Factors Influencing Neuroleptic Medication Taking Scale was used with a non-probability sample of mental health service users. Ethics approval was obtained from a university and a hospital ethics committee. Data were analysed using spss version 15. Most participants had insight into their illness and were aware of the stigma of mental illness. Around 70% experienced annoying side effects, while nearly half admitted alcohol consumption. About one-fifth admitted they had missed taking medications during the previous week. Significant others played a variable role in medication taking. Over 80% were satisfied with their relationships with health professionals, but were less satisfied with access to these professionals, especially psychiatrists. Logistic regression analysis showed that age, impact of medication side effects, and access to psychiatrists were independent predictors of medication omission. It is argued that medication taking is a complex issue, which needs to be taken into consideration in health professional training and measures to promote adherence. [source]


Schizophrenia and the Motivation for Smoking

PERSPECTIVES IN PSYCHIATRIC CARE, Issue 2 2002
Cheryl Forchuk PhD
PROBLEM. People with mental illness are twice as likely to smoke than people without a mental illness. METHODS. Data were collected through interviews with individuals who smoke and have been diagnosed with schizophrenia (N = 100). The research design included a descriptive, correlational design that described and examined the relationships among psychiatric symptoms, medication side effects, and reasons for smoking; and a qualitative analysis of the subjective experience of smoking. FINDINGS. A positive relationship was found between the age of onset of smoking and the onset of schizophrenia. Subjects reported they smoked primarily for sedative effects and control of negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Subjects also reported smoking related to addiction. Most indicated they would like to quit smoking or at least cut down on the number of cigarettes. CONCLUSIONS. Among people with schizophrenia, the motivation to smoke is related to their schizophrenia. [source]