1
ATI Pharmacology Proctored 2025
Definitions
Benzodiazepines - -CORRECT ANSWER--✔️Includes "Pams" Alprazolam,
diazepam, lorazepam, oxazepam, clonazepam, chlordiazepoxide,
chlorazepate
Enhances GABA: increased GABA means decreased neuron activity
Treats anxiety, PTSD, seizures, alcohol withdrawal, muscle spasm,
induction of anesthesia
Usually short term; if long term do NOT stop abruptly
Antidote is flumazenil
Side effects: CNS depression - sedation and respiratory depression,
amnesia, dependency, and withdrawal effects
Atypical anxiolytic - -CORRECT ANSWER--✔️Buspirone
Can take 2-6 weeks to work, but can be long term!
Treats panic disorder, anxiety, OCD, and PTSD
Side effects: dizziness, nausea (take w/ food to relieve), headache
(sedation and dependency is not seen like in benzo)
Trick to remember difference between Benzodiazepine and buspirone - -
CORRECT ANSWER--✔️"Pam" has anxiety, so she goes on a "benzo" and
takes it for a long time but realizes that it is not healthy. So she takes a
"bus" to a "pier" to sit "alone" and decides to treat her anxiety long term
with "buspirone"
1
, 2
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) - -CORRECT ANSWER--
✔️Usually end in "ine": paroxetine, sertraline, citalopram, escitalopram,
fluoxetine, fluvoxamine
Inhibits serotonin reuptake" increases serotonin
Treats anxiety, OCD, PTSD, and depression
Side effects: nausea, fatigue, sexual dysfunction, weight gain, insomnia
(paroxetine), serotonin syndrome (agitation, hallucinations, tremors,
fever, diaphoresis)
Takes about four weeks after treatment begins to take full effect.
Atypical Antidepressants - -CORRECT ANSWER--✔️Bupropion, Trazodone
- more important
Others: Vilazodone, mirtazapine, reboxetine
Treats depression and aid for smoking cessation
Side effects: headache, GI distress, insomnia, nausea, weight loss,
seizures
Tricyclic antidepressants - -CORRECT ANSWER--✔️Amitriptyline
Treats depression, neuropathic pain, fibromyalgia, anxiety disorders,
insomnia
Side effects: Anticholinergic effects, Sedation, Seizures, Sweating (SSS)
"Amy tripped over a tricycle in the desert."
Amitriptyline is a tricyclic antidepressant and causes effects that make
you feel like you're in the desert.
2
, 3
Anticholinergic efffects - -CORRECT ANSWER--✔️dry mouth, blurred
vision, photophobia, urinary hesitancy or retention, constipation,
tachycardia
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors - -CORRECT ANSWER--✔️Phenelzine
(Prototype), Isocarboxazid, tranylcypromine, selegiline
Side effects: CNS stimulation, Orthostatic hypotension, hypertensive
crisis (especially with phenelzine).
Tyramine rich foods can lead to hypertensive crisis
Foods that contain tyramine - -CORRECT ANSWER--✔️aged cheese,
pepperoni, salami, avocados, figs, bananas, smoked fish, protein dietary
supplements, soups, soy sauce, some beers, and red wine
Mood stabilizer - -CORRECT ANSWER--✔️Lithium Carbonate
Treats bipolar disorder
Side effects: GI distress, fine hand tremors, polyuria, weight gain, renal
toxicity, renal toxicity, hypothyroidism, electrolyte imbalance
Lithium toxicity: occurs with levels over 1.5; presents with COARSE (not
fine) hand tremors, confusion, tinnitus, seizures, hypotension, coma,
possibly death.
Do not give with diuretics, NSAIDs, or anticholinergics
Need a balance of sodium and water.
Mood - stabilizing antiepileptic - -CORRECT ANSWER--✔️Carbamazepine,
valproic acid
Treats Bipolar disorder and seizure disorder
3
, 4
Carbamazepine side effects: blood dyscrasias, hypo-osmolality
Valproic acid side effects: *hepatotoxicity,* pancreatitis,
thrombocytopenia
Antipsychotics: First-generation (conventional) - -CORRECT ANSWER--
✔️Chlorpromazine, Haloperidol
TONS of side effects-will only list important ones
Extrapyramidal side effects: Acute dystonia- spasms of tongue, neck,
face, or back; Parkinsonism- rigidity, shuffling gait, drooling, tremors;
akathisia- unable to sit or stand still; tardive dyskinesia - involuntary
movement of tongue and face
EPS effects may be able to be treated with anticholinergic medication if
the patient does not have anticholinergic side effects.
Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome: sudden high grade fever,
dysrhythmias, muscle rigidity
There is a long lasting injection for non-compliant patients.
Antipsychotics: second and third generation (atypical) - -CORRECT
ANSWER--✔️Risperidone and Clozapine - most important
Often first line in treating schizophrenia
Treats negative and positive symptoms
Side effects: diabetes mellitus, weight gain, hypercholesterolemia,
orthostatic hypotension, anticholinergic effects
Do not take with alcohol.
IM every two weeks available for those who are not compliant
4
ATI Pharmacology Proctored 2025
Definitions
Benzodiazepines - -CORRECT ANSWER--✔️Includes "Pams" Alprazolam,
diazepam, lorazepam, oxazepam, clonazepam, chlordiazepoxide,
chlorazepate
Enhances GABA: increased GABA means decreased neuron activity
Treats anxiety, PTSD, seizures, alcohol withdrawal, muscle spasm,
induction of anesthesia
Usually short term; if long term do NOT stop abruptly
Antidote is flumazenil
Side effects: CNS depression - sedation and respiratory depression,
amnesia, dependency, and withdrawal effects
Atypical anxiolytic - -CORRECT ANSWER--✔️Buspirone
Can take 2-6 weeks to work, but can be long term!
Treats panic disorder, anxiety, OCD, and PTSD
Side effects: dizziness, nausea (take w/ food to relieve), headache
(sedation and dependency is not seen like in benzo)
Trick to remember difference between Benzodiazepine and buspirone - -
CORRECT ANSWER--✔️"Pam" has anxiety, so she goes on a "benzo" and
takes it for a long time but realizes that it is not healthy. So she takes a
"bus" to a "pier" to sit "alone" and decides to treat her anxiety long term
with "buspirone"
1
, 2
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) - -CORRECT ANSWER--
✔️Usually end in "ine": paroxetine, sertraline, citalopram, escitalopram,
fluoxetine, fluvoxamine
Inhibits serotonin reuptake" increases serotonin
Treats anxiety, OCD, PTSD, and depression
Side effects: nausea, fatigue, sexual dysfunction, weight gain, insomnia
(paroxetine), serotonin syndrome (agitation, hallucinations, tremors,
fever, diaphoresis)
Takes about four weeks after treatment begins to take full effect.
Atypical Antidepressants - -CORRECT ANSWER--✔️Bupropion, Trazodone
- more important
Others: Vilazodone, mirtazapine, reboxetine
Treats depression and aid for smoking cessation
Side effects: headache, GI distress, insomnia, nausea, weight loss,
seizures
Tricyclic antidepressants - -CORRECT ANSWER--✔️Amitriptyline
Treats depression, neuropathic pain, fibromyalgia, anxiety disorders,
insomnia
Side effects: Anticholinergic effects, Sedation, Seizures, Sweating (SSS)
"Amy tripped over a tricycle in the desert."
Amitriptyline is a tricyclic antidepressant and causes effects that make
you feel like you're in the desert.
2
, 3
Anticholinergic efffects - -CORRECT ANSWER--✔️dry mouth, blurred
vision, photophobia, urinary hesitancy or retention, constipation,
tachycardia
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors - -CORRECT ANSWER--✔️Phenelzine
(Prototype), Isocarboxazid, tranylcypromine, selegiline
Side effects: CNS stimulation, Orthostatic hypotension, hypertensive
crisis (especially with phenelzine).
Tyramine rich foods can lead to hypertensive crisis
Foods that contain tyramine - -CORRECT ANSWER--✔️aged cheese,
pepperoni, salami, avocados, figs, bananas, smoked fish, protein dietary
supplements, soups, soy sauce, some beers, and red wine
Mood stabilizer - -CORRECT ANSWER--✔️Lithium Carbonate
Treats bipolar disorder
Side effects: GI distress, fine hand tremors, polyuria, weight gain, renal
toxicity, renal toxicity, hypothyroidism, electrolyte imbalance
Lithium toxicity: occurs with levels over 1.5; presents with COARSE (not
fine) hand tremors, confusion, tinnitus, seizures, hypotension, coma,
possibly death.
Do not give with diuretics, NSAIDs, or anticholinergics
Need a balance of sodium and water.
Mood - stabilizing antiepileptic - -CORRECT ANSWER--✔️Carbamazepine,
valproic acid
Treats Bipolar disorder and seizure disorder
3
, 4
Carbamazepine side effects: blood dyscrasias, hypo-osmolality
Valproic acid side effects: *hepatotoxicity,* pancreatitis,
thrombocytopenia
Antipsychotics: First-generation (conventional) - -CORRECT ANSWER--
✔️Chlorpromazine, Haloperidol
TONS of side effects-will only list important ones
Extrapyramidal side effects: Acute dystonia- spasms of tongue, neck,
face, or back; Parkinsonism- rigidity, shuffling gait, drooling, tremors;
akathisia- unable to sit or stand still; tardive dyskinesia - involuntary
movement of tongue and face
EPS effects may be able to be treated with anticholinergic medication if
the patient does not have anticholinergic side effects.
Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome: sudden high grade fever,
dysrhythmias, muscle rigidity
There is a long lasting injection for non-compliant patients.
Antipsychotics: second and third generation (atypical) - -CORRECT
ANSWER--✔️Risperidone and Clozapine - most important
Often first line in treating schizophrenia
Treats negative and positive symptoms
Side effects: diabetes mellitus, weight gain, hypercholesterolemia,
orthostatic hypotension, anticholinergic effects
Do not take with alcohol.
IM every two weeks available for those who are not compliant
4
