Category Archives: Medication Review

One common issue on consult service is patients taking chronic benzodiazepines. A few practical principles are helpful when thinking about tapering. 1️⃣ Short-Term Use  Patients on a benzodiazepine (except alprazolam) for: Usually do not require a taper. 2️⃣ Longer-Term Use at Standard Doses Patients on a benzodiazepine (except alprazolam) for: ➡️ Can typically be tapered over ~4Continue reading “Benzodiazepine Tapering”

Carbamazepine.   If we find a patient on this medicine at Shands, there are several key factors to be familiar with. I will also try to find time to later review oxcarbazepine and topiramate. Dose Starting dose: 200mg BID Titration: Increase by 200mg/day until response Maximum dose: 1600mg total/day -When tapering off, go slowly to avoid the risk of seizure. (Reduce dose every 2Continue reading “Carbamazepine: Details”

Recognizing the difference between Depakote formulations can be challenging. We often get asked which one to use. This info should help. We will discuss Tuesday AM. Learning objectives: So, what’s the deal with all these Depakote formulations??? What is the difference between “Valproate” and “Divalproex”? What is the difference between divalproex DR and ER? WhatContinue reading “Depakote Formulations”