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The Use of Antidepressants in Treating Bipolar Disorder

by Marisa Serafini

Overview

Bipolar disorder is a mental illness characterized by extreme mood swings from mania to depression. This disorder is generally treated with a combination of medication and psychotherapy, although treatment varies from person to person. There are a lot of options for treatment; several types of medications that can help treat the symptoms. Although mood stabilizers may offer the most relief for people with bipolar disorder, antidepressants can sometimes be prescribed and may offer some benefits as well.
Types

There are three types of antidepressants. Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) are the most commonly prescribed form of antidepressant and work by maximizing the amount of time serotonin, a neurotransmitter in the brain, is active in brain chemistry. MAOIs, or monoamine oxidase inhitors, are much less widely used today when compared to SSRIs. This is mainly because of the drug interactions MAOIs have with other medicines. Tricyclic antidepressants are a third type of antidepressant, but are much less commonly prescribed.

Uses

Antidepressants were used frequently in the treatment of bipolar symptoms. Today, however, the topic is the subject of controversy, and many question the benefits of antidepressants for this purpose. When antidepressants are used for bipolar disorder, it is often in combination with a prescription mood stabilizer.
Controversies

There is some controversy surrounding the use of antidepressants for bipolar disorder. The reason for this lies in the double nature of the disorder (depression versus mania). There have been reports of some antidepressants causing a bipolar person to switch to a state of mania. Antidepressants may cause rapid cycling for people with bipolar disorder or they may have a kindling effect, in which use of these medications causes worsening of condition over time and causes destabilization of mood.
Side Effects

Like many other prescription medications, there are a multitude of side effects that can come with the use of an antidepressant. Some commonly reported side effects of antidepressants include irritability, fatigue, insomnia, nausea, dry mouth, reduced sexual desire, increased appetite, constipation and dizziness.
Considerations

Antidepressants have been used in the past to treat episodes of depression in bipolar patients. Today, however, many are questioning this practice, and there is a chance these medications could actually do more harm than good. There is no one treatment that will work for everyone, and some may still find that an antidepressant is the best option for treatment of bipolar symptoms. The best thing to do when weighing treatment options is to discuss it with your doctor.