Publications by authors named "Michael Ang-Rabanes"

Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, medications commonly employed in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus, have illustrated several additional benefits, including weight loss and potentially reduce addictive cravings. Several studies have indicated that GLP-1 receptor agonists may be effective in treating Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), for which current pharmacologic therapies are often inadequate. Proposed mechanisms include modulation of dopaminergic transmission and reduced gastric emptying, both of which reduce alcohol craving and tolerance.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • * A 34-year-old woman with long-term GERD treated with proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) experienced depression, which was later discovered to be due to a severe deficiency in the amino acid tyrosine.
  • * After discontinuing PPIs and supplementing tyrosine, her depressive symptoms improved significantly, highlighting a potential connection between PPI use and mood disorders.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

In the United States, the rate of opioid use increases each year. With this, users are engaging in more non-traditional methods of usage. "Chasing the dragon" is a term used to describe opioid inhalation, where the user heats the opioid and then inhales the smoke.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with both insomnia and hypersomnia, but it predominantly decreases sleep continuity and leads to a decrease in rapid eye movement (REM) latency, an increase in REM sleep duration, and an increase in REM density. Some of these changes persist even when MDD is treated and can be associated with a recurrence of MDD. Antidepressants can potentially complicate the relationship between REM sleep and depression, as a majority of patients report improved sleep when prescribed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) but some case reports mention that SSRIs have been associated with REM inhibition, resulting in decreased REM sleep.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

BACKGROUND Different medication classes have been implicated in cutaneous eruptions that may lead to significant morbidity and mortality. In drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) syndrome, the patient may initially present with a cutaneous eruption and hematologic abnormalities which can lead to acute visceral organ involvement if the offending drug is not discontinued. There is also a potential for long-term sequelae such as autoimmune disorders.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

This paper details the hospital course of a patient suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who had been inadequately treated during previous hospitalizations and treatment programs. He also experienced symptoms not necessarily covered by the DSM-5 diagnosis of PTSD such as specific paranoia directed at his wife. This paper aims to expand upon the experiences of this patient from the standpoint of his disorder and his treatment history in order to demonstrate the potential benefits of the differentiation of complex PTSD (cPTSD) as a subset of patients within the greater scope of PTSD in order to more adequately address the needs of this subset of patients.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

This case report details the presentation of a patient who presented to Psychiatry via the Emergency Department following a diphenhydramine overdose in an attempt to seek relief from a perceived skin condition. Review of the patient's files demonstrated similar presentations to a number of other specialties including Family Medicine and Dermatology. Due to the description by the patient of his condition as well as the associated psychiatric symptoms and significant impairment to his life, he was diagnosed with Morgellons disease.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

This case report details a patient with a complex medical history who was brought for psychiatric evaluation. An abrupt switch in Kratom use patterns was identified as the most likely causative factor of his symptoms. Adrenal insufficiency and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were considered both in the differential and potential confounding factors in his presentation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Body dysmorphic disorder is a chronic disorder involving imagined or partial appearance defects that lead to significant impairment in everyday life. It is quite prevalent but remains a clinically underdiagnosed psychiatric condition especially in the inpatient psychiatric setting. Onset of body dysmorphic disorder typically begins in adolescence with subclinical symptoms.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Cognitive deficits have been identified as an important core feature of schizophrenia. Single nucleotide polymorphisms in the transcription factor 4 (TCF4) gene have been reported to be involved in the susceptibility to schizophrenia and be significantly related to cognitive deficits of schizophrenia and controls. This study examines whether the TCF4 rs2958182 polymorphism influences cognitive functions in chronic schizophrenia and controls.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF