Assessing and treating clients with anxiety disorders
1. Consider prescribing an opioid analgesic such as hydrocodone or oxycodone as these have been shown to be effective for treating moderate to severe pain in many clinical settings.
2. Monitor for any potential side effects such as nausea, constipation, and sedation since these drugs can cause significant adverse reactions in some individuals.
3. Start with a low dose initially and titrate up slowly over time depending on the patient’s response in order to minimize the risk of overdose or addiction which may result from higher dosages.
When making these decisions it is important to consider factors that might impact the client’s pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic processes such as age, renal function, concomitant medications etc., as they can all affect how drugs are metabolized or eliminated from the body which may increase the likelihood of certain side effects occurring at higher doses. Additionally, monitoring for signs of opioid dependence should also be done periodically in order to ensure safe and appropriate use of opioids where necessary.