COMPARING AND CONTRASTING PHARMACOLOGIC OPTIONS FOR THE TREATMENT OF GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER

COMPARING AND CONTRASTING PHARMACOLOGIC OPTIONS FOR THE TREATMENT OF GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER

The study of pharmacokinetics involves understanding how drugs interact with the body in terms of dosage and drug concentration over time. On the other hand, pharmacodynamics is the study of how drug concentration affects the body and what effects it produces. Pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic models are mathematical expressions of the relationship between drug dose and concentration (pharmacokinetics) and drug concentration and effect (pharmacodynamics), and they comprise individual parameters (for example, clearance, distribution volume, effective concentration for maximal effect) (Uteshev et al., 2023). Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a mental health condition that causes excessive, unrealistic worry about everyday things, such as job responsibilities, health, or chores. Different types of medication, like antidepressants and anxiolytic medications, are used to treat GAD. These medications target specific neurotransmitters in the brain, ensuring that synapses are firing correctly, thus helping improve mood and reduce anxiety symptoms (Sartori & Singewald, 2019). Patient X, a fifty-year-old female living with her husband and two children, was brought in with several problems, including extreme tiredness, agitation, chest pains, and feelings of impending doom. She describes herself as easily stressed all her life, persistently worrying about her work and kids. Her medical history includes hypertension, and she is on lisinopril. She has also gained 20 pounds over her weight. She drinks two to three beers out of fear of losing his job, citing a heavy workload and harsh management.According to the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), she scored 15, which falls under moderately severe anxiety. The Generalized Anxiety Disorder Assessment (GAD-7) is a brief measure of anxiety symptoms based on the