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Combination Drug Treatment for Bipolar Disorder

Patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder are usually prescribed medication to stabilize their moods. They will typically require medication for the rest of their lives. People with this diagnosis have mood swings that go from depression to mania that distort their views and change their behavior. Medication can help prevent these mood swings.

  1. Depression

    • A doctor may prescribe a mood stabilizer such as lithium to treat depressive moods. Mood stabilizers may be combined with other medications such as antipsychotic drugs and antidepressants.

      Mood stabilizers help prevent the mood swings between polarized mania and depression that are typical with a bipolar diagnosis. Anticonvulsants, although not originally developed as mood stabilizers, can also be effective.

      Antidepressant drugs are sometimes prescribed but are closely monitored because they can can cause patients to go into a manic state.

    Mania

    • Some of the medications used to treat the manic phase are lithium, benzodiazepines, antipsychotics and anticonvulsants.

      Benzodiazepines, sometimes referred to as tranquilizers, include the fast-acting medications Ativan, Xanax and Klonopin. They usually provide relief from anxiety within an hour, and can help with insomnia and manic states. These drugs are highly addictive and sometimes are only given until the mood stabilizers are in effect.

      Antipsychotics are sometimes prescribed for bipolar patients in an acute manic state, which can cause psychosis. Antipsychotic drugs may become part of the daily medication regimen for patients prone to acute manic states.

    Importance Of Medication

    • Most medications used to treat bipolar disorder needs to build to a therapeutic level for patients to feel the full effects of the drug. It is important for bipolar patients to continue taking prescribed medications, even if they don't feel they are getting any relief from their symptoms. Doctors often prescribe a benzodiazepine initially to help provide some immediate relief from symptoms.

      Once medication takes effect, patients with a bipolar diagnosis should feel better and back to normal. It is very important to continue taking medication. Patients often stop medication because they feel better, but the only reason they are feeling so good is because they are taking the correct medication. If they stop, they eventually begin experiencing symptoms again--and the symptoms can be worse than they were before. It is imperative to continue with the medication regimen.

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