Medications to Treat Bipolar Disorder

by Brooke Nichols

Overview

Medications to Treat Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition in which moods vacillate between major depression and mania. Bipolar disorder is successfully treated with medication, and counseling is usually recommended as well. Trial and error on different types of medications or different combinations of drugs may be necessary in order to find the proper treatment.
Symptoms

Severe symptoms of depression include suicidal thoughts or gestures. Severe symptoms of mania include extreme agitation, psychotic symptoms (such as hallucinations) and/or engaging in high-risk behaviors.

Mood Stabilizers

Taking a mood stabilizer for bipolar disorder is effective in treating both depression and mania. Lithium and anticonvulsant medications (valproic acid, carbamazepine) are considered mood stabilizers.
Antipsychotics

Antipsychotic medication can be effective in controlling the suicidal thoughts that can be part of depression, or the agitation and psychosis that characterize mania. Antipsychotics come in the traditional (haloperidol, thioridazine) and atypical (risperidone, olanzapine) forms.
Anxiolytics

Anxiolytic medication is effective in managing anxiety symptoms that can be a part of either depression or mania. Benzodiazepine anxiolytic medications such as alprazolam or diazepam have an immediate sedating effect to calm anxiety and help initiate sleep in manic patients.
Antidepressants

Antidepressants such as fluoxetine, bupropion and nortriptyline are typically used in combination with other mood stabilizing agents to prevent exacerbation of manic symptoms from the use of an antidepressant alone.

Overview