Question

A 51-year-old partner at a leading financial firm, Thomas Frost is struggling with his alcohol use. He has tried multiple times to reduce or stop drinking but has yet to succeed. His alcohol use has started to affect his work performance and is straining his relationships with his wife and children. Thomas’ wife, Joanne, calls your office for support around creating a treatment plan and helping find appropriate and high-quality care for Thomas that would give him the best chance for successfully stopping his use of alcohol.

Questions

From your perspective as a psychiatric nurse practitioner, address the following in your initial post:

1. What medications are available for alcohol cravings/withdrawal?
2. Choose a medication that helps with alcohol cravings/withdrawal and explain the psychopharmacology.
3. What are the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal? What potential dangers are there from alcohol withdrawal
4. Describe a screening tool to help assess the amount and frequency of alcohol intake. Include a link if available online

Cite at lease 2 peer review or evidence base reference

Answer 1

ANS) The Common medicines which are available for the alcohol craving and they are,

Naltrexone - This will make a obstruction in the pleasure center of brain and which will obstruct the happiness the alcohol users experience by drinking.So we can say that in the end this medicine will decrease the craving.

Campral - This medicine will decrease the physical difficulties and the psychological aches an pains that the individuals normally feel at the time when they leave drinking.This medicine will reinstate a chemical disparity in cerebrum's reward system which is changed by long standing alcohol abuse.This is a really good medicine to reduce the alcohol craving.

Antabuse is also a good medicine but more than decreasing the alcohol craving,that strengthen dislike to alcohol because of the unpleasant consequences( Vomiting,sore head) at the time of drinking.

Some of the withdrawal symptoms are eagerness,trembling hands,Vomiting,sleeplessness.

Some of the potential dangers from the alcohol withdrawal are : possibility of loosing responsiveness,formation of dementia,seizures,lack of certainty,enhanced bloop pressure and heart problems.

One of the screening tool to help assess the amount and frequency of alcohol intake is CAGE questionnair. The questionnair will use only lower than a minute to execute and this is a rapid screening tool which use less time.This tool is normally used to detect the individuals who use alcohol inordinately and require medication.This include only 4 YES/NO questions.

THANKS!!!!