Bipolar Treatment - Available Pharmacological Treatment For Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder or manic-depressive illness is a brain disorder, which causes unusual swing or shift in mood, energy, and activity levels that affects an individual's ability to carry out common day-to-day tasks.
The symptoms of bipolar disorder are severe and can result in damaged relationships, poor job or school performance, and even suicide.
Presently, there is no known cure for bipolar disorder however; there are medical interventions that can control the symptoms and help people with this illness lead a full and productive life.
This condition is a lifetime and recurring illness so people with the disorder need continuing bipolar treatment to sustain control of the symptoms.
The treatment plan for a person with bipolar disorder includes pharmacological and psychotherapeutic modes to control the symptoms and prevent recurrence.
However, patients respond differently to treatment, which may also vary according to age and gender.
The available pharmacological treatment for people with bipolar disorder includes mood stabilizing and anticonvulsant medication, atypical antipsychotic and antidepressant medications.
The primary medicines doctors prescribe are lithium and lamotrigine.
They are effective in controlling the symptom of mania and prevent the recurrence of manic and depressive episodes.
Lithium is a mood stabilizer while lamotrigine is an anticonvulsant.
Valproic acid is a popular alternative to lithium.
Other mood stabilizing drugs are gabapentin, topiramate and oxcarbazepine.
Doctors prescribe atypical antipsychotic medications when patients show serious symptoms particularly severe mania and psychosis.
The most common are olanzapine, which rapidly treats agitation associated with a manic or mixed episode.
Aripiprazole, quetiapine, risperidone and ziprasidone are other antipsychotic drugs.
Doctors may also prescribe antidepressants to treat symptoms of depression but with mood stabilizers because taking an antidepressant alone increases the risk of shifting to mania or hypomania and develop rapid cycling symptoms.
Fluoxetine, paroxetine, sertraline, and bupropion are examples of antidepressants used for bipolar treatment.
The symptoms of bipolar disorder are severe and can result in damaged relationships, poor job or school performance, and even suicide.
Presently, there is no known cure for bipolar disorder however; there are medical interventions that can control the symptoms and help people with this illness lead a full and productive life.
This condition is a lifetime and recurring illness so people with the disorder need continuing bipolar treatment to sustain control of the symptoms.
The treatment plan for a person with bipolar disorder includes pharmacological and psychotherapeutic modes to control the symptoms and prevent recurrence.
However, patients respond differently to treatment, which may also vary according to age and gender.
The available pharmacological treatment for people with bipolar disorder includes mood stabilizing and anticonvulsant medication, atypical antipsychotic and antidepressant medications.
The primary medicines doctors prescribe are lithium and lamotrigine.
They are effective in controlling the symptom of mania and prevent the recurrence of manic and depressive episodes.
Lithium is a mood stabilizer while lamotrigine is an anticonvulsant.
Valproic acid is a popular alternative to lithium.
Other mood stabilizing drugs are gabapentin, topiramate and oxcarbazepine.
Doctors prescribe atypical antipsychotic medications when patients show serious symptoms particularly severe mania and psychosis.
The most common are olanzapine, which rapidly treats agitation associated with a manic or mixed episode.
Aripiprazole, quetiapine, risperidone and ziprasidone are other antipsychotic drugs.
Doctors may also prescribe antidepressants to treat symptoms of depression but with mood stabilizers because taking an antidepressant alone increases the risk of shifting to mania or hypomania and develop rapid cycling symptoms.
Fluoxetine, paroxetine, sertraline, and bupropion are examples of antidepressants used for bipolar treatment.
