Question

A 25-year-old man presents to his clinician complaining of recurrent episodes of chest pain, shortness of breath, sensation of choking, and palpitations. He says that his symptoms usually stop when he starts breathing deeply. He says that he avoids going to college as he is afraid that he might have another episode. Physical exam of the patient is unremarkable. He is prescribed lorazepam. The patient should avoid concurrent intake of which of the following drugs?

A. Diphenhydramine
B. Levocetirizine
C. Venlafaxine
D. Phenelzine
E. Naloxone

Answer 1

The patient should avoid concurrent intake of Phenelzine when prescribed lorazepam due to a potential drug interaction called serotonin syndrome.

Step-by-step explanation:

The patient should avoid concurrent intake of D. Phenelzine when prescribed lorazepam. Lorazepam is a benzodiazepine used to treat the short-term symptoms of anxiety, including chest pain, shortness of breath, and palpitations. Phenelzine is an antidepressant drug that belongs to the class of MAO inhibitors. Combining lorazepam with phenelzine can potentially lead to a severe drug interaction called serotonin syndrome, which can cause dangerous symptoms such as hallucinations, high fever, seizures, and irregular heart rhythm.