A 40-year-old female teacher mother of 8 children comes to your office with one year history of dizziness, tinnitus, disturbed sleep, facial numbness, headache, poor concentration, reduced appetite, excessive sweating, excessive worries about her children and home duties,.  Symptoms fluctuate in severity but never disappeared.

On physical examinationBP: 130/70 Pulse: 104/min

-thyroid gland within normal limits and non tender

-her cardiac examination reveals no abnormalities other than tachycardia

-her neurological examination is normal.The remainder of P/E is normal.

Q – 1   What is the most likely diagnosis?A- panic disorder.B- major depressive disorder.C- generalized anxiety disorder.D-hyperthyroidism.E-hypochondiasis.

Dr. Khalid Saad Al-Ghamdi

DefinitionDiagnostic criteria Prevalence EpidemiologyRisk factorsSymptomsDiagnosisTreatmentReferral indication

Every one experiences feelings of anxiety during their lifetime .

For example, you may feel worried and anxious about sitting an examination , or

having a medical test , or job interview.

Feeling anxious sometimes is perfectly normal

For people with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), feelings of anxiety are much more constant, and tend to affect their

day- to-day life .

Definition: Is characterized by excessive worry and anxiety that are difficult to control and that

cause significant distress and impairment. In addition patient with GAD may present with

somatic symptoms.

2009 UpToDate

Diagnostic criteria ( from DSM IV ):

1 -Excessive anxiety and worry about a number of events or activities, occurring more days ,

not less than 6 months .

2 -The person finds it difficult to control the worry .

3 -It is associated with several symptoms.

4 -It causes significant distress or impairment in daily live.

American Psychiatric Association, 2009

GAD prevalence is estimated to be between 5 and 8 percent in the primary care setting

2009 Up-to-date

Epidemiology :The usual age of onset is variable from

childhood to adulthood . Women two to three times more likely to

suffer from GAD than men .

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Risk factor : Stresses of live . Fears . Substance abuse .Family history .

2009 Up-to-date

Symptom:

Difficulty concentrating .Irritability. Sleep disturbance .Exaggerated response .Panic .Sensitivity to noise .

psychological

2009 Up-to-date

Motor tension: Muscle tension or aching . Restlessness. Fatigue and tiredness .

Physical

2009 Up-to-date

Autonomic over activity: Dry mouth . Palpitation . Sweating / cold hand . Difficult swallowing . Diarrhoea . Frequency of micturition . Dizziness . Difficulty breathing .

2009 Up-to-date

1 -History. 2 -Exclusion of organic disorders.

3 -Exclusion of other psychiatric disorder .

Diagnosis

American Psychiatric Association, 2009

American Psychiatric Association, 2008

A seven-item anxiety questionnaire (GAD-7) has been developed and validated in a primary care setting. This patient self-assessment tool may facilitate screening, but positive screens (a score of 8 or higher) should be followed by clinician interview Diagnostic criteria from the DSM-IV to establish the diagnosis of GAD.

2009 Up-to-date

1. Feeling nervous, anxious or on edge 2. Not being able to stop or control worrying 3. Worrying too much about different things 4. Trouble relaxing . 5. Being so restless that it is hard to sit stil. 6. Becoming easily annoyed or irritable . 7. Feeling afraid as if something awful might

happen

GAD-7

mild : 5-9 moderate :10-14 sever : 15-21

2009 Up-to-date

GAD assessment

Differential diagnosis:

1 -Depression. 2 -Drug and alcohol dependence.

3 -Cardiac arrhythmias. 4 -Benzodiazepine dependence.

5 -Hyperthyroidism. Caffeine intoxication . 6-

2009 Up-to-date

Anxiety Panic attack . Autonomic

symptom. Insomnia . Apprehension . Worry .

Depression Early morning

waking . Weight loss . Suicidal thoughts Feeling of

hopelessness .

Management:

Non-pharmacolgical

pharmacological

Herbal

Reassurance Not a serious physical disease , Not insanity , Not

life-threatening Not a sign of weakness or failure , Not

childishness or overdependence Set Goals for Therapy

Decrease level of anxiety and maintain at low level Modulate future symptom responses

National Institute of Mental Health. Accessed 2009

Encourage : Acceptance of anxiety as a life-long problem healthy lifestyle as an adjunct to treatment , Daily

Physical Exercise , Sleep Hygiene, Avoid harmful intakes : Avoid alcohol , Tobacco , caffeine , Substance Abuse

Consider new hobbies

National Institute of Mental Health. Accessed 2009

Psychotherapy Teach coping skills and conflict resolution Increase self confidence , Increase self control Promote emotional growth Encourage patient to express themselves Practice goal directed behavior Redirect energy and creativity

National Institute of Mental Health. Accessed 2009

Behavioral Therapy Progressive muscle relaxation Relaxation training , stress management Biofeedback Systematic desensitization Breathing retraining (arousal reduction)

Take a deep breath Let breath out through pursed lips

Cognitive Therapy Recognize, Reexamine and replace anxious thoughts

Meta-analysis : Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is frequently recommended as first line psychological treatment for GAD which is more effective reducing symptoms

Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2007

A controlled study of 91 patients with new episodes of GAD found that family physicians who used brief supportive psychotherapy had three-month and six-month follow-up results similar to those who used benzodiazepines

2009 Up-to-date

CBT should be used. ACBT should be delivered only by suitably trained

and supervised people who can demonstrate that they adhere closely to empirically grounded treatment protocols. A

CBT in the optimal range of duration (16–20 hours in total) should be offered. A

For most people, CBT should take the form of weekly sessions of 1–2 hours and be complete within a maximum of 4 months from commencement. B

Briefer CBT should be supplemented with appropriate focused information and tasks. A

Pharmacological Treatment

First line : ( no abuse or withdrawal symptoms ) SSRI : paroxitine 20 – 60 mg ( need > 2

weeks to work ) SNRI: venlafaxine 37.5 – 300 mg ( if +

psychosis or smoking ) Non-addictive anxiolytics : Buspirone

(Buspar) 15 – 30 mg Bupropione : 75 – 150mg

2009 Up-to-date

Antidepressants Several RCTs : have demonstrated the efficacy

of antidepressants in patients with generalized anxiety disorder, including trials of venlafaxine, paroxetine, sertraline, citalopram, imipramine, and trazodone.

2009 Up-to-date

Syst.Rev. : concluded ( NNT = 5 ) with antidepressants to observe a positive effect.

five RCTs of venlafaxine for GAD found similar efficacy and tolerability in younger and older patients. Venlafaxine may be a particularly good choice for patients with coexisting psychiatric illness, such as panic disorder, major depression, or social phobia, or when it is not clear if the patient has GAD, depression, or both.

2009 Up-to-date

Unless otherwise indicated, an SSRI should be offered. B

If one SSRI is not suitable or there is no improvement after a 12-week course, and if a further medication is appropriate, another SSRI should be offered. D

When prescribing an antidepressant, the healthcare professional should consider the following.

Side effects on the initiation of antidepressants may be minimised by starting at a low dose and increasing the dose slowly until a therapeutic response is achieved. D

In some instances, doses at the upper end of the indicated dose range may be necessary and should be offered if needed. B

Long-term treatment may be necessary for some people and should be offered if needed. B

Alternative Pharmacotherapy Tricyclic Antidepressant

Imipramine(Tofranil) 25 mg – 300 mg Desipramine (Norpramin) 25 – 300 mg

Beta Blockers : Indicated for excessive autonomic symptoms, or in social phobia : Propranolol (Inderal) , Atenolol (Tenormin)

Long Acting Benzodiazepines : Clonazepam (Klonopin) 0.5 – 6 mg

acute severe : Short-acting Benzodiazepines : Alprazolam (Xanax) 0.5 – 10 mg Lorazepam (Ativan) 0.5 – 6 mg

Herbal Method

 Studies on the effectiveness of kava kava for the treatment of GAD have important methodological flaws and placebo effects are significant . Kava Kava has been associated with fatal hepatotoxicity and the FDA has issued a safety alert. We advise against the use of kava kava for treatment of anxiety.

2009 Up-to-date

indications of referral : severe & complicated cases child with GAD associated with drugs & alcohol dependence associated with psychosisassociated with personality disorders

GAD is a common problem frequently seen in primary care .

Careful history taking and good listening to the patient help detect this disorder .

Family physician should be good observer to detect such cases .

Immediate treatment should be started ( no need for psychologist referral )