Patient Information on Mood Stabilizers

Mood stabilizers are medications typically used to treat bipolar patients' depressive and manic stages. Mood stabilizers include lithium, anticonvulsants and antipsychotics.

Lithium

• The oldest and still first line treatment for bipolar patients, lithium is the original mood stabilizer. It received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), approval in the 1970s for treatment of mania and depression for bipolar disorder.

Anticonvulsants

• After lithium, the most prescribed mood stabilizers are anticonvulsants. They include Depakote, Tegretol, Trileptal and Lamictal.

Antipsychotics

• The newer drugs prescribed as mood stabilizers are atypical antipsychotics. They include Zyprexa, Abilify, Risperidone, Geodon and Clozaril.

Side Effects

• Side effects of mood stabilizers can be serious. Possible side effects of lithium are seizures or blackouts, slurred speech, excessive thirst and increased urination, rash or itching, vision problems, pounding heart and loss of coordination. Side effects of anticonvulsants include issues with weight, loss of appetite, nausea or vomiting and stomach pain.

Warnings

• With any mood stabilizer, regular doctor visits are necessary to check dosage, and blood work may be required to watch for toxic levels of the drug in a patient's system. With atypical antipsychotics in particular, it is important to be vigilant, as an increase in suicidal thoughts and behavior is possible.