How to Taper Psychiatric Medications Safely: Expert Advice on Med Management with Dr. Lori Calabrese
Nov 18, 2024
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Dr. Lori Calabrese, a board-certified psychiatrist at Innovative Psychiatry, dives deep into the delicate world of psychiatric medication management. She emphasizes personalized tapering strategies, distinguishing between withdrawal and original symptoms. The conversation covers the critical role of patient involvement, especially in relation to lifestyle factors like exercise and the ketogenic diet. Dr. Calabrese also explores managing expectations and risks, ensuring safe and compassionate medication adjustments for better mental health outcomes.
Tapering psychiatric medications necessitates a nuanced understanding of potential interactions, particularly when patients switch to a ketogenic diet.
Incorporating lifestyle changes like exercise and time-restricted eating can significantly enhance the effectiveness of medication management during tapering.
Deep dives
Impact of Ketogenic Diet on Medication Absorption
The ketogenic diet significantly influences how medications are absorbed and metabolized in the body. Specifically, a ketogenic diet can reduce the levels of P-glycoprotein, a protein that normally limits the absorption of medications in the gut. As a result, medications like Depakote may be absorbed more effectively, leading to increased potency and side effects such as excessive tiredness. Understanding these interactions is crucial for clinicians to ensure patients' safety and health management while undergoing dietary changes.
Tapering Medications in Connection with Dietary Changes
Tapering psychiatric medications requires careful consideration, especially when patients transition to a ketogenic diet. Clinicians need to differentiate between side effects from medication potentiation and the return of original psychiatric symptoms. For instance, a patient may misinterpret akathisia as a return of psychotic symptoms, highlighting the importance of clear communication and assessment. This nuanced approach enables healthcare providers to adjust medications more safely and effectively based on the individual patient's response.
Lifestyle Factors Affecting Medication Management
Incorporating lifestyle changes, such as exercise and circadian timing, plays a vital role in managing medications during dietary transitions. Regular physical activity can influence ketone levels and the metabolism of medications, facilitating smoother tapering processes. Additionally, adhering to time-restricted eating helps improve sleep and overall body synchronization, which can enhance the effectiveness of a ketogenic diet. By addressing these lifestyle factors, clinicians can optimize patient outcomes and support healthier transitions away from psychiatric medications.
In this video, psychiatrist Dr. Lori Calabrese provides essential guidance on medication management, focusing on the nuanced process of tapering and deprescribing psychiatric medications. As individuals seek alternatives or adjustments to their mental health treatments, understanding how to navigate medication changes safely is critically important. Dr. Calabrese discusses the complexities involved in reducing or discontinuing medications and covers crucial topics like personalized tapering strategies, the risks and benefits of deprescribing, and how to manage potential withdrawal symptoms.
If you or someone you know is contemplating changes to their psychiatric medication, this video provides valuable insights into how to approach this sensitive process. With a focus on achieving stability and well-being, Dr. Calabrese’s approach to medication management is grounded in safety, compassion, and careful planning.
*Experts Featured*
Lori Calabrese, MD
Board-certified Psychiatrist, Innovative Psychiatry
https://www.loricalabresemd.com/
Follow our channel for more information and education from Bret Scher, MD, FACC, including interviews with leading experts in Metabolic Psychiatry.
Learn more about metabolic psychiatry and find helpful resources at https://metabolicmind.org/
About us:
Metabolic Mind is a non-profit initiative of Baszucki Group working to transform the study and treatment of mental disorders by exploring the connection between metabolism and brain health. We leverage the science of metabolic psychiatry and personal stories to offer education, community, and hope to people struggling with mental health challenges and those who care for them.
Our channel is for informational purposes only. We are not providing individual or group medical or healthcare advice nor establishing a provider-patient relationship. Many of the interventions we discuss can have dramatic or potentially dangerous effects if done without proper supervision. Consult your healthcare provider before changing your lifestyle or medications.
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#MetabolicNeuroscience
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#KetogenicTherapy#KetoForMentalHealth#MedicationTapering#PsychMeds
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