Bipolar Chic

Updated 5/10/09

Experts tend to agree that medication is necessary to stabilize bipolar disorder. Many experts also recommend psychotherapy in addition to prescription medication.

Medication is intended to treat the underlying cause of bipolar disorder (which is an imbalance in brain chemistry), thus stabilizing the moods and eliminating or minimizing mania and depression. Typically, a mood stabilizer is prescribed, and sometimes an antidepressant. Some professionals are against prescribing antidepressants to bipolar patients while others believe it is okay as long as they prescribe mood stabilizers as well. Sometimes other types of medications are prescribed to treat additional symptoms, such as antipsychotics, antianxiety medications, or sleep aids.

Mood Stabilizers

The purpose of mood stabilizers is just what the name implies – stabilizing moods. They are primarily used to treat mania in bipolar patients but some help alleviate depression as well. Below we will discuss the top three mood stabilizers.

Lithium Treatment for Bipolar Disorder
Lithium is the oldest and most commonly used treatment for bipolar disorder. It has been used as a medicine for over a century. It became popular in treating bipolar disorder in the U.S. in the 1960s, and was approved by the FDA in 1970.

It is a natural salt which is very similar in chemistry to salts found in the human body. As a mood stabilizer, it normalizes brain cell rhythm. It regulates the release of noradrenaline and dopamine in the brain, and increases the production of blood proteins that protect the nerve cells from aging and injury.

Lithium treats bipolar depression in addition to mania, and is said to reduce suicidal thoughts.

Side effects of lithium treatment for bipolar disorder include weight gain, acne, course hair, hand tremors, thirst, and increased urination. Blood tests should be administered by the prescribing physician to ensure that the level of lithium in the blood does not go too high. An overdose of lithium can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and fever. Too much lithium in the blood for an extended period of time can damage the kidneys.

Carbamazepine (Equetro, Tegretol, and Carbatrol)

Carbamazepine is an anti-convulsant and mood stabilizer. It is used to treat temporal lobe epilepsy as well as bipolar disorder. It stabilizes the brain cells, treating the central cause of bipolar disorder, thus improving most of the bipolar symptoms. It is said to decrease feelings of anger and anxiety and promote more logical thinking and better sleep patterns. Most patients improve within the first few days of taking carbamazepine, though optimum benefits occur within ten days to three weeks of use.

Side effects include sedation, nausea, fuzzy vision, and dizziness. These side effects usually disappear after a few days. The best way to avoid side effects is to increase the dosage gradually. Rare side effects include a rash and anemia. Taking carbamazepine may also decrease the effectiveness of birth control pills.

Valproate (Depakote)
Valproate is another popular mood stabilizer. It normalizes the brain cell rhythm and increases GABA. Like lithium, it also increases the production of blood proteins in the brain. It is used to treat bipolar disorder, epilepsy, migraines, and as a stop-smoking aid.

Valproate, or Depakote, helps patients to think clearer and communicate better by treating the central cause of bipolar disorder. It is primarily prescribed for mania.

Side effects of Depakote can include sedation, weight gain, hair loss, swollen ankles, tremor, decreased white blood cell count and liver failure. The patient’s blood should be tested regularly to monitor white blood cell count and liver function. Patients who have liver problems should probably consider another type of medication.

I took Depakote in the past and I noticed more stable moods and better attention span. However, my white blood cell count was consistently low over a period of time, so I quit taking it. White blood cells have to do with immune system function. I have a serious skin disease that could become life threatening when the immune system is compromised. So you see, I can’t afford to mess around with Depakote. I would advise anyone with a serious health condition to avoid taking Depakote.

Other mood stabilizers include Trileptal, Lamictal, Topamax, Neurontin, Gabitril, and Keppra.