Mood Stabilizer Bipolar Medication

Mood Stabilizer Bipolar Medication.

It is difficult to judge whether a medication works unless it is tried for at least six weeks. The normal mood stabilizer bipolar medication used to control the manic up and down episodes is lithium. If lithium doesn't work then the depression is probably not bi polar or is resistant to lithium. Lithium is tried first as a mood stabilizer bipolar medication if the depression is not severe. For severe bipolar depression, lithium is prescribed with an antidepressant to work as a mood stabilizer bipolar medication. The history that is considered when placing a bipolar person on lithium as a mood stabilizer bipolar medication is the following: Equal episodes of manic highs and depressive lows. When bi polar is depressed, he experiences an increase in appetite and sleeps for long periods feeling very fatigued.

His depression is followed by a period of expansive mood and increased energy. The two cycles are separate and do not bounce back and forth rapidly. Lithium is effective to stabilize mood swings in both high and low mood exhibitors in about 80% of the mood swings. After 20 days of lithium used as a mood stabilizer bipolar medication, 70% of those on lithium have shown positive mood balance. For those mood swings of mania that are exhibited by anxiety, grandiosity, lack of focus and agitation, lithium as a mood stabilizer bipolar medication has been proven to be helpful. Lithium has not been helpful in stabilizing criminal behavior of assault or sexual molestation.

Medications used with lithium as a mood stabilizer bipolar medication to reduce the level of acute manic behaviors are benzodiazepines or neuroleptics. This treatment is only used if the bipolar is not exhibiting psychotic or schizoaffective behaviors. If the bipolar is exhibiting psychotic behaviors then clonazepam is used with lithium before trying an antipsychotic medication. The side effects of anti psychotic medications like amantadine may include tardive dyskinesia which is a serious muscular disorder involving involuntary hand, leg, body and face movements. For lithium resistant bipolar symptoms, carbamazepine and valporic acid is as effective as lithium in mood stabilization.