Bipolar disorder causes unusual rapid changes in the patient’s mood, energy levels and ability to function normally. These changes are not the usual life changes that give you your ups and downs; they are extremely severe and long lasting. Shifts such as mania and depression result in ruined relationships, lost job opportunities, failing out of school and possibly personal injury or death. It is possible to lead a normal life with bipolar disorder but it takes a good deal of work, a good therapist and medication.
Medication treatments can stabilize even the most stubborn cases of bipolar disorder. As an illness that recurs, the patient must undergo long term treatment to prevent relapses and reduce the severity when they do occur. The best way to treat this illness over the long term is by combining medication and psychosocial treatment.
Even when the long term treatment appears to be successful you can experience mood swings. These must be reported to the therapist immediately. It is possible to prevent a relapse if the changes are noted early enough and the doctor is able to adjustment the treatment. This requires that the patient is aware of changes, the family keeps tabs on the patient and the doctor is contacted in the event of the least change in behavior or mood.
Doctors of many types are capable of prescribing bipolar medication but the best doctors for this type of treatment are psychiatrists (medical doctors who are trained to diagnose and treat mental disorders).
Medications in the Treatment of Bipolar Disorder
“Mood stabilizers” help control bipolar disorder and there are many types of them available to treat the various symptoms of the illness. Mood stabilizers need to be taken for extended periods of time with other medications added if a short term course needs to be added for relapses of mania or depression.
Lithium is controls mania and prevents the relapses of manic and depressive episodes.
Anticonvulsant medications are mood stabilizers and are useful for unresponsive bipolar episodes.
New anticonvulsant medications are undergoing trials to judge their efficacy in stabilizing moods.
Anticonvulsant medications improve the effectiveness of other bipolar medications.
Juvenile bipolar disorder is usually treated with the older medication, lithium but other drugs are beginning to see increased usage as they are proven safe in young people.
Bipolar disorder patients can switch to mania or hypomania and can develop rapid cycling when they take antidepressant medications which is why mood stabilizers are needed. Lithium and valproate are most commonly used but other medications are being researched as potential mood stabilizers.
Atypical antipsychotics (clozapine, olanzapine, risperidone, quetiapine, and ziprasidone) are possible treatments for bipolar disorder. Clozapine may be useful for people who do not respond to lithium or anticonvulsants. Olanzapine appears to be well suited to acute mania treatment and psychotic depression.
Benzodiazepine medications (clonazepam or lorazepam) may work for patients who suffer from insomnia but they are prescribed short-term because they tend to be habit forming.
Changes (prescribed by the doctor) to bipolar treatment are normal during the long term treatment plan. This can be to manage an episode, prevent episodes or end acute episodes.
The doctor needs to know what other prescription drugs, over the counter medications, or natural supplements the patient is taking because medications and supplements can cause reactions and side effects that include rendering the treatment for bipolar ineffective.
Following the treatment plan will reduce the chance of relapse or a new episode.
A variety of medications must be used in tandem to effectively control and eventually overcome bipolar disorder. It is absolutely essential to consult a qualified therapist or doctor to correctly diagnose this disorder and to prescribe the medications and associated therapy.
