Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0040822 (tremor)
 18,428 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

There is a new, potentially fatal disorder that is infrequently reported. The apparent rareness may be because of a lack of recognition of the syndrome or its predisposing factors. Fluoxetine (Prozac, Dista Products Co, Division of Eli Lilly Co, Indianapolis, IN), sertraline (Zoloft, Roerig Division, Pfizer Inc, New York, NY), and paroxetine (Paxil, SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals, Philadelphia, PA) belong to a new class of antidepressant medication: the serotonin reuptake-inhibitors (SRIs). The relative safety profile of the SRIs has led to their widespread use. However, a syndrome of excessive serotonergic activity, the "serotonin syndrome" (SS), has recently been recognized. It is characterized by changes in mental status, hypertension, restlessness, myoclonus, hyperreflexia, diaphoresis, shivering, and tremor. A high index of suspicion is required to make the diagnosis in these acutely ill patients. The most common agents implicated in SS are the monoamine oxidase inhibitors in combination with L-tryptophan or fluoxetine. A case of a patient with significant peripheral vascular disease who developed SS while taking paroxetine and an over-the-counter cold medicine is reported. There have been no prior reports of this interaction. Discontinuation of the offending agents, sedation, and supportive care are the mainstays of treatment. The interactions of serotonin with platelets and vascular endothelium are also discussed.
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PMID:The serotonin syndrome associated with paroxetine, an over-the-counter cold remedy, and vascular disease. 766 67

Beta-adrenergic-blocking drugs (BABs) have a firm place in the therapy of cardiovascular conditions including angina and hypertension. Although all BABs are competitive inhibitors of beta-receptors, they may differ in their additional pharmacodynamics, i.e., beta1-(cardio)selectivity, partial agonistic activity (PAA), and pharmacokinetic properties. Understanding these additional properties would allow the physician to choose the more appropriate agent for some patients or for specific situations. beta1-Selective BABs may be of potential importance in patients with obstructive airway disease, peripheral vascular disease, and hyperlipidemia and in diabetic patients receiving antidiabetic drugs. These BABs may better control the increased blood pressure in response to hypoglycemia, exercise, or cigarette smoking. Nonselective BABs may be preferably used to decrease epinephrine-induced hypokalemia or to prevent myocardial infarction, and in certain circumstances (i.e., migraine, anxiety, thyrotoxicosis or essential tremor). BABs with PAA may theoretically cause a lesser degree of cardiodepression (reduction of heart rate at rest, cardiac output, and AV conduction), bronchospasm, and peripheral vasoconstriction and minor effects on plasma lipids. Withdrawal syndrome may be absent after BABs with PAA. The pharmacokinetic properties of the BABs such as absorption, bioavailability, elimination half-life, liver metabolization, interindividual variability, as well as pharmacological interactions depend on their hydrophilic/lipophilic ratio. The development of new BABs continues. It has been possible to incorporate into a drug molecule combinations of PAA, preferred beta1-blockade, and beta2-agonist activity. Even if these new agents cause less adverse effects (e.g., vasoconstriction, bronchospasm), their clinical significance remains to be established.
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PMID:Optimization of beta-blockers' pharmacology. 1152 10

Spinal cord or thalamic deep brain stimulation with a pacemaker is becoming more important in the treatment of drug refractory pain due to peripheral vascular disease, angina pectoris and intractable tremor in patients with neurologic disorders such as Parkinson's disease. An additional indication for a cardiac pacemaker or implantable cardioverter defibrillator raises concerns about possible interactions between the implanted electrical devices. We report on a patient with existing spinal cord stimulation who survived sudden cardiac death and received a dual chamber cardioverter defibrillator capable of delivering tiered therapies in both the atrium and ventricle.
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PMID:Potential device interaction of a dual chamber implantable cardioverter defibrillator in a patient with continuous spinal cord stimulation. 1475 38