Just to 'liven' things up a little, I'ma post a couple of cases which I've seen in my GP clinic for you guys to think. Yes, I have my OWN clinic! Okay, so it's just for 2 weeks .. but damn, it's the most fun I've had since while studying Medicine.
Anyway, here we go.
Case 1.
Guy in 20s came in with his wife and 2 kids, complaining of being depressed. He admitted being recently out of prison, and said while he was there he could not eat and felt really down. Upon release, he described himself as continuing to feel depressed all the time, lost interest in everything, was not eating or doing anything at all. Once, he said he injected himself with heroin and his wife found out. He saw a GP previously who put him on Fluoxetine, which did nothing. When queried, he said this depression has lasted for years but he had never talked to anyone about it, and Fluoxetine was his first medication.
Then his auntie gave him this 'medication' to take, which he handed the empty foil over to me. I looked at it, 'Neurontin' (a brand of Gabapentin). He said he's feeling much better after taking them, and began eating and helped around the house with the kids. He has just finished the Neurontin so he had come to get a prescription for it.
He claimed that the medication has helped him so much, if he couldn't get a prescription he'll just buy it from the pharmacist. He said his wife can vouch for the change in him after being on it, so I looked over at his wife but she was just minding the baby in her hands.
Hint: Just to be sure, I consulted the BNF.
What do you think and what will your management of this patient be? I'll update this post with an answer in a few days (: