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Different Medications for Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is a psychological disorder that causes patients to go through cycles of depression (lows) and mania (highs). The time period of these cycles varies from person to person, as does the intensity of the depressions and manias. Bipolar disorder patients should be treated for both mania and depression, not one or the other solely, and many patients benefit from a combination of medications that allow them to control their symptoms.

  1. Mood Stabilizers

    • Mood stabilizers are used to control the mania part of bipolar disorder. During mania, patients experience an extremely elevated mood and energy, unusual thought patterns and, in some cases, psychosis. Mania can be very mild, as in hypomania, or severe, with hallucinations and delusions. Some bipolar disorder patients can become rather uncontrollable when in a state of mania.

      Lithium salts are commonly used to treat mania and are a very effective mood stabilizer. Lithium salts are also effective in treating depression and may reduce the risk of suicide. Another type of mood stabilizer used for mania is anticonvulsant medications. Examples of anticonvulsant mood stabilizers include oxcarbazepine (Trileptal), lamotrigine (Lamictal), carbamazepine (Tegretol) and valproic acid or divalproex sodium (Depakote).

    Atypical Antipsychotics

    • Atypcial antipsychotics are another option for treating bipolar disorder, but they are taken in combination with other medications. Types of atypical antipsychotics include aripiprazole (Abilify), risperidone (Risperdal) and ziprasidone (Geodon). For bipolar patients who suffer from severe or psychotic depression, olanzapine (Zyprexa) is prescribed.

      Atypical antipsychotics are also an option for patients who do not respond to lithium or anticonvulsants to treat their mania. One in particular, clozapine (or Clozaril), is effective in treating the hallucinations and delusions associated with severe mania. Clozapine is also used as a treatment for schizophrenia.

    Antidepressants

    • The other half of bipolar disorder is depression. Symptoms include sadness, loss of pleasure or interest in activities, changes in weight, sleep problems, energy loss, worthless feelings and thoughts of self-inflicted injury or death. Antidepressants include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI), tricyclics, and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI), which act to balance serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake amounts in the brain.

      Patients with bipolar disorder should not take antidepressants on their own. Doing so can lead to a rapid switch from depression and mania that can be incredibly debilitating. In addition, taking antidepressants can increase thoughts of suicide.

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