by Claire Ellerbrock, DNP, PMHNP | Sep 4, 2025 | Prescribing tips for treating mental disorders
Your patient is taking Prozac and Lithium—what worries you most? A. They smoke cigarettes 2 PPD B. They are on oral contraceptives C. They are on long-term, high-dose ibuprofen D. They drink 5 beers per week Did you get it right? Why Smoking Isn’t the Biggest Issue...
by Claire Ellerbrock, DNP, PMHNP | Aug 19, 2025 | Prescribing tips for treating mental disorders
Clozapine is one of the most effective medications for treating schizophrenia, especially in treatment-resistant cases. However, clozapine’s serious side effects require vigilant monitoring to keep patients safe. Understanding these risks can help APRNs and...
by Claire Ellerbrock, DNP, PMHNP | Aug 14, 2025 | Prescribing tips for treating mental disorders
When it comes to treating mood disorders, SNRIs for depression offer a valuable option. While they may be overshadowed by SSRIs or newer antidepressants, serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) like venlafaxine, duloxetine, and desvenlafaxine have unique...
by Claire Ellerbrock, DNP, PMHNP | Jul 29, 2025 | Clinical support resources, Prescribing tips for treating mental disorders
Let’s dive into the world of SSRIs – the superheroes of psychotropic agents! They all work to boost those feel-good neurotransmitters like serotonin, but each SSRI has its unique personality. Prozac, Lexapro, Zoloft, Paxil, and Celexa: they’re like a squad with...
by Claire Ellerbrock, DNP, PMHNP | Jul 24, 2025 | Best practices, Prescribing tips for treating mental disorders
One of the most stressful parts of being a PMHNP is managing patients who partially respond—or don’t respond at all—to psychotropic medications. Whether it’s antidepressants, antipsychotics, or others, knowing what to do next isn’t always straightforward....
by Claire Ellerbrock, DNP, PMHNP | Jul 22, 2025 | Prescribing tips for treating mental disorders
Every PMHNP has their go-to medications—but what about the ones we prescribe less often? One such antidepressant for me was vortioxetine (Trintellix), a medication I used to rarely prescribe, simply because I didn’t know as much about it. Let’s change that. What Class...