When it comes to weight gain on antipsychotics, most of what we know is from industry sponsored trials, and most of them were done on Caucasian patients. Few of those studies compare the antipsychotics side by side, which leaves us guessing as to how they compare across side effects. This study...

Half a dozen research papers suggest that lithium’s anti-viral properties may extend to the coronavirus. But the idea is far from tested, and patients with coronavirus are also at higher risk for lithium toxicity. We also touch on a safer and simpler way to prevent COVID-19: Vitamin D. How to...

We often worry about sleep meds in the medically ill, and there’s plenty of cause to: falls, respiratory suppression, and confusion. On the other hand, sleep disruption is a major risk factor for delirium, and there’s growing evidence that some sleep meds – ramelteon, melatonin, but not the benzos or...

Air pollution, including particulate matter from forest fires, is a leading cause of health problems globally. It is also linked to psychiatric problems in children and adolescents. We take a closer look at the evidence and clinical implications in this episode. Published On: 9/17/2020 Duration: 14 minutes, 51 seconds Related Article: "Air...

If you haven’t seen a patient with Morgellons yet, it’s a good guess that you soon will. Patients with this syndrome experience crawling, biting, and stinging sensations in the skin.

Do antipsychotics treat all psychoses? And how do you talk to patients when they don’t work? Psychiatrist Michael Posternak shares his top tips. Plus: What the “Beads Task” tells us about the psychological underpinnings of delusional disorder.Published On: 9/13/2020Duration: 15 minutes, 47 secondsPartial Transcript:Kellie: The one thing in delusional disorder...

In the early 1990’s, half of US patients with bipolar disorder took lithium. Now it’s closer to 15%, and the use of antipsychotics has more than doubled to fill the gap. A new survey reveals what patients think about these newcomers. [Link]Published On: 9/9/2020Duration: 2 minutes, 49 secondsTranscript:In the early...

Nausea, tremor, cognition, and renal function. We bring you our top tips for managing these side effects, including when to use instant release vs. controlled release and how to optimize the serum level for patient safety.Published On: 9/7/2020Duration: 20 minutes, 30 secondsTranscript:Lithium. The word conjures up thoughts of toxicity, dangerous...

It’s risky business – giving sleep meds to the elderly and the medically ill – and today we have some reassuring data. [Link]Published On: 9/5/2020Duration: 2 minutes, 22 secondsTranscript: It’s risky business – giving sleep meds to the elderly and the medically ill – and today we have some reassuring data.This...

Dr. Kenneth Kendler's latest compares biological siblings where one was adopted and the other raised by the birth parents. The study found that children adopted into a stable adoptive home had a reduced rate of depression by 23%. [Link]Published On: 9/2/2020Duration: 2 minutes, 4 secondsTranscript:Over the past 40 years Dr. Ken Kendler...