A Patient Who Has Been Taking Phenobarbital for 2 Weeks

Multiple Choice

A patient who has been taking phenobarbital for 2 weeks as part of therapy for epilepsy reports feeling tense and that the "least little thing" is a bother now.What is the nurse's best explanation to the patient?

A) These adverse effects will often subside after a few weeks.
B) The drug should be stopped immediately because of possible adverse effects.
C) This drug causes the rapid eye movement (REM) sleep period to increase, resulting in nightmares and restlessness.
D) This drug causes deprivation of REM sleep and may cause the patient's inability to deal with normal stress.