Ever seen an actor who belly laughs for a minute and begin sorrowful crying in the space of a heartbeat?
That’s what people who have pseudobulbar affect or PBA experience regularly. Most of the time, these people may hysterically laugh while watching a sad movie or cry non-stop while seeing a funny film.
For some actors and to most people, choosing their crying or laughing episodes can be totally in their control. But for people who have PBA, the decision on showing their emotions can be out of their hands.
PBA is a condition that affects the nervous system. People who have this can be characterized as someone who has uncontrolled outbursts of crying or laughing.
Some ads specifically target the people who experience this condition. Even if the ads don’t mention a particular medicine, there are some that were run by Avanir Pharmaceuticals in California.
This pharmaceutical company is known to be the manufacturer of the drug called Nuedexta.
Since the Food and Drug Administration has approved of the use and distribution of this medicine, lots of review sites and companies have written an in-depth review of Nuedexta uses and its benefits. You can find out more about them when you click the link.
Overview of the Drug
- The Food and Drug Administration has officially approved Nuedexta as a treatment for PBA
- Many patients take this medicine twice a day in capsule form. It is only available through prescription.
- Most of the studies involving the drug showed that Nuedexta could help in minimizing unwanted episodes of crying and laughing.
- To reduce the risk, the patients who will take the drug should discuss any medical conditions involving the cardiovascular system with their doctors.
Most of the patients are given a single capsule a day for the first week. After seven days, the dose can be increased to two pills a day in which the patient will need to take every 12 hours. It is not advised to have more than two doses in a day.
If there’s a pill not taken at the right time, you should forget about it since no two medications should be taken at a time to make up for the missed one.
Lots of published studies at libraries and online have shown that Nuedexta can significantly reduce the crying and laughing episodes that are uncontrollable.
According to its manufacturer, Avani’s, the body’s response to the treatment can be seen as early as one week.
In many clinical trials, patients have experienced remission at the end of the research while taking the drug compared to those who were given placebo pills.
You can know more about patient remissions on this site. Most of the scored on the scale of measuring one’s emotional lability use the CNS-LS standards.
The findings show that patients can control their emotions and responses better while taking the medication.
It is important to note that the FDA only approved Nuedexta after a decade of clinical trials, research, and development.
What the Patients are Experiencing
According to the doctors and medical practitioners who conducted the study, most patients are embarrassed about their condition.
They felt misdiagnosed and misunderstood. Those who experience milder cases and don’t have to be admitted to the hospital are experiencing social stigma and isolation.
Since the development of the drug, most of the patients experience a new lease on life. They explained that they were able to communicate better with their families, can respond to their environment more appropriately, and they can enjoy their lives better.
Most of them have deemed some activities as impossible, but now, they can do things in a tolerable way.
Although most patients will undoubtedly want this medication, it is still important to discuss everything with their doctor before buying or starting any treatment.
What Is the Drug Consisted of?
As of this time, only Nuedexta is approved by the FDA to treat pseudobulbar effect. The medication is consisting of dextromethorphan hydrobromide, which is a compound that affects one’s nervous system.
Dextromethorphan is used to treat extreme cough and helps the brain to decrease the triggering of coughing reflex. It can be available in many over-the-counter drugstores and can be combined with other medications.
Another ingredient is the quinidine sulfate that acts as a metabolic inhibitor. You can know more about quinidine here: https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-12175/quinidine-gluconate-oral/details. This means that quinidine regulates the amount of dextromethorphan that controls the central nervous system. This allows the drug to metabolize slowly and to provide hyperactive levels.
Side Effects
Depending on the patient’s overall health, other medications, and reactions to the drug, the following side effects can be experienced. Some reported dizziness, swelling of the feet, urinary tract infection, and flu as side effects of taking the medication.
Since there’s a risk of getting dizzy, there should be a lot of care involved to prevent patients from falling.
Most of the severe side effects noted are significant changes in the heart rhythm. This is why you need to consult with your physician if you are taking cardiovascular drugs and being treated with heart conditions.
Some of the side effects are still being studied, but overall, patients with PBA have significantly improved their conditions, and some of them are in remission stages.
About The Author:
Stefan Savevski: web content writer/Wordpress editor/web researcher. Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technologies.
