Are these statements TRUE or FALSE?
Though the links to the relevant articles are provided, you DON’T have to re-read that article. Correct answers are given in just few sentences.
1. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is very uncommon in patients with a bipolar disorder. So, if bipolar disorder is present, the diagnosis of OCD should be reconsidered.
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Answer: False
Explanation: The opposite is true. OCD is fairly common in persons with bipolar disorders. The pooled mean lifetime prevalence rate of OCD comorbid with bipolar disorder is 17% (Amerio et al., 2015). This means that at some time in their lifetimes, about 17% of patients with bipolar disorders have had, have, or will have OCD. We should screen all patients with bipolar disorders for OCD.
Review: Comorbid obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in bipolar disorders
2. Most authorities consider sertraline to be one of the preferred antidepressants for use during breastfeeding.
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Answer: True
Explanation: The levels of sertraline in breastmilk are low and sertraline is usually not detectable in the infant’s serum. Norsertraline (desmethylsertraline), a metabolite of sertraline, is often detectable in the infant’s serum but a) its levels are low and b) it is only weakly active compared to sertraline. Also, sertraline has more data and clinical experience for its use in lactation than other antidepressants. That is why several review articles have referred to sertraline as a “first-line drug for breastfeeding women due to documented low levels of exposure in breastfeeding infants and very few adverse events described in case reports” (Pinheiro et al., 2015) and as “one of the safest antidepressants during breastfeeding” (Cuomo et al., 2018).
Review: Is sertraline safe in lactation?
3. In mothers who are breastfeeding their infants, in general, extended-release preparations of medications should be preferred because serum levels tend to be lower with extended-release preparations.
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Answer: False
Explanation: One strategy to reduce the infant’s exposure through breast milk to medication that the mother is taking is for the mother to take the medication immediately AFTER breastfeeding the baby and then to avoid breastfeeding around the time that the serum levels of the medication are expected to be highest. To make this strategy feasible, immediate-release formulations and shorter-acting medications should be preferred whenever possible (Kronenfeld et al., 2017).
Review: Tips on psychotropic medications during breastfeeding
Related Pages
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365 Advanced Topics in Psychopharmacology: Quiz 27
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