Info-medications for bipolar disorder

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The recognised standard treatment for bipolar Types of Medications for Bipolar Disorder
disorder is medication, which focuses on controlling or eliminating the symptoms and then Mood Stabilisers
maintaining the symptom-free state by preventing A mood stabiliser is a medication that is used to decrease the relapse. The effective use of medication requires that you chance of having further episodes of mania or depression. work closely with your medical practitioner. Some patients They are the first line agents for bipolar disorder. Depending may respond well and experience few side effects with one on the associated symptoms with this disorder, anti- type of medication, while others may do better with another. depressants or antipsychotics may also be used. Thus, when taking medication, it is important that you monitor its effects and consult with your doctor. A mood stabiliser is given to a person as a maintenance medication because it regulates mood swings but doesn’t take Principles of Medication Management
away the cause. Feeling wel does not mean you can stop taking mood stabilisers, it means the medication is keeping you For medication to be of benefit, you should carefully follow the prescribed treatment and take note of your The most common mood stabilisers are Lithium Carbonate, If side effects develop, these should be Carbamazepine, and Sodium Valproate. Sometimes these reported to your doctor as soon as possible medications are used on their own or in combination with to avoid prolonged discomfort. It is strongly abruptly before first consulting with your Antidepressants
doctor. This could bring on a return of a Antidepressants can also be used with mood stabilisers in the acute, continuation, and/or maintenance phases of medical Alcohol, illicit medications, and other prescribed treatment. There is no one particular antidepressant that is medicines may cause your medication for bipolar more effective than the others in bipolar disorder. In fact, disorder to be ineffective and may increase side effects. there is a significant risk for antidepressants to induce or You should report all other medications and substances cause a “switch” to manic or hypomanic episodes, especially if you are taking to your doctor to ensure that none a patient on antidepressants is not taking a mood stabiliser. adversely interact with the medication prescribed for Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) - Effective medical management of bipolar disorder requires you to monitor your symptoms and side effects, and work with your doctor to adjust dosages or Tricyclics - imipramine, amitriptyline, desipramine, Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) - phenelzine and Phases of Treatment
There are usually three phases to medical treatment for Antipsychotic Medication
bipolar disorder. The most important aim, if you are experiencing an episode of mania, hypomania, or major Antipsychotics may also be used both in the acute phase of depression, is to control or eliminate the symptoms so that the disorder and sometimes as a longer term treatment. they can return to a normal level of day-to-day functioning. The duration of this acute phase of treatment may last from Common antipsychotic agents include haloperidol, 6 weeks to 6 months. Sometimes, longer periods are chlorpromazine, thioridazine, risperidone, and olanzapine. necessary in order to find the most effective medications These medications are often combined with mood stabilisers to assist in controlling hallucinations, or delusions, to induce sleep, to reduce inappropriate grandiosity, or decrease In continuation treatment, the main aim is to maintain the irritability or impulsive behaviours. These medications are symptom-free state by preventing relapse, which is the usually not used for treating hypomania. Although antipsychotics are most often used in treatment of the acute phase of mania, some patients may continue on smaller The third phase, the maintenance phase, is critical and dosages to ensure that they do not experience a relapse of essential for all patients with bipolar disorder. The goal for maintenance treatment is to prevent recurrence, that is, to prevent new episodes of mania, hypomania, or depression Another often used medication is clonazepam, which is classed from occurring. For bipolar patients, as with other medical under the benzodiazepines. This is used as an adjunct with conditions such as diabetes or hypertension, maintenance other medications (mood stabilisers and antipsychotics) to aid treatment may last 5 years, 10 years, or a lifetime. But in inducing sleep, reducing psychomotor agitation, and slowing remember, prolonged symptom control will help you to Remember that it is very important that you talk openly
For all phases of treatment and all medications, patients must with your prescribing doctor or psychiatrist and not to stop take the prescribed medication/s on a daily basis. Unlike your medication without first discussing it with them. medications like paracetamol or antibiotics that are taken only when a person actually experiences a headache or has This document is for information purposes only. Please refer to the full disclaimer and copyright statement available at Centre for
the ‘flu, medications for bipolar disorder must be taken regularly – on both good days and bad days – at the same http://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au regarding the Clinical
information from this website before making Interventions

Source: http://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/docs/ACF4FC1.pdf