Depression

Depression has been ranked in the top 1-2 spots of leading causes of worldwide disability according to the World Health Organization total suicides coming in at close to 1 million deaths per year. In addition to life stressors it can also occur due to overall depletion of serotonin in the main neural pathways involving the:
• Prefrontal cortex
• Raphe Nuclei
• Nucleus accumbens

At Las Vegas Psychiatry, we are going to be looking at multiple diagnostic criteria, presence of adjustment disorder, as well as ruling out medical comorbidities such as:
• Hypothyroidism
• Traumatic brain injury
• Anemia (iron or B12)
• Substance abuse

Treatment options include all FDA approved medications as well as some off-lable options in treatment cases. First line treatments will include the following antidepressants:
• SSRI (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors)
• NSRI (Norepinephrine & Serotonin)
• Atypical (Norepinephrine & Dopamine)
• TCA (tricyclic anti-depressants)
• SERM (Serotonin Modulators)
• Naturopathic (medical superfoods)

In the case of treatment resistant depression, various treatment modalities will be used to provide adjunctive as in a “boosting” effect to either reduce overall mood burden OR speed the time of treatment in certain severe subtypes. The following additions will be carefully considered (to name a few):
• Atypical antidepressants
• SGA (second gen antipsychotics)
• AED (anti-epileptic drugs)

Every consideration will be taken into account during the careful course of monitoring during biweekly or monthly visits such as:
• Time of Efficacy
• Side effects
• Medication Interactions
• Vital sign monitoring
• Ther complications

Our goal at Las Vegas Psychiatry is to provide patients with the most comfortable, safe, and effective long-term treatment with the option to get off of medication in as little as 6 months for many patients once full remission of depression is achieved.