A patient took a benzodiazepine for 4 weeks but will now change ...

[Sufayan.ah]

A patient took a benzodiazepine for 4 weeks but will now change to buspirone (BuSpar) for long-term treatment of anxiety
 
  The benzodiazepine is tapered off as the buspirone is begun. Important information the patient should receive about buspirone is that it:
  a. produces profound sedation.
  b. will be effective in 7 to 10 days.
  c. has a high risk for development of dependence.
  d. is often associated with cross-tolerance with other CNS depressants.

Question 2

A patient states, I have the same thoughts over and over. I feel compelled to count all my footsteps. The nurse can expect the health care provider to prescribe
 
  a. alprazolam (Xanax).
  b. propranolol (Inderal).
  c. clonazepam (Klonopin).
  d. clomipramine (Anafranil).

[Jsherida]

Answer to Question 1

B
Buspirone provides anxiety relief within 7 to 10 days from the time it is begun. For this reason, benzodiazepines are continued for their anxiolytic effect and gradually tapered as the buspirone becomes effective. The other options are incorrect.

Answer to Question 2

D
Clomipramine is an antidepressant that has proven effective for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The other drugs have no proven effectiveness in treating OCD.