Choosing the Right Bipolar Medication for Effective Treatment

Bipolar disorder is a kind of psychiatric diagnosis described by mood disorders causing the patient to show one or more occurrences of abnormally elevated moods which are commonly know as bipolar mania, or hypomania for mild cases, to depression.   This is a manic-depressive illness or manic depression that can lead to serious cases. Episodes or symptoms of manic depression or bipolar mania are usually separated by periods of normal moods but in some cases, depression and bipolar mania may also have a rapid cycle.

Bipolar Experiences

People with bipolar disorder usually experience abnormal elevation and depression for short or significant period of time. But not everyone who has this illness experiences the same symptoms. Statistics recorded almost five millions of Americans being affected by this kind of mental illness. Bipolar disorder does not respect age, gender, race, status and attainments.

Most of the noticeable signs and symptoms of bipolar disorder are the major depressive episodes which may include feelings of sadness, anxiety, guilt, anger, isolation and hopelessness. The person may also experience disturbance in sleep, loss of appetite, fatigue, and even loss of interest to interact with other persons. Another symptom is the manic episode which is usually an irritability mood. Some people in the manic state experience psychosis, extreme irritability, and severe anxiety while some experience euphoria. The hypomanic episode, on the other hand, is a mild case of bipolar disorder with some irritability symptoms and mild mood swings but they may also be hindered by good personalities like being happy.

Bipolar Medication

Bipolar disorders may not be cured but it can be treated. A large number of pharmacological and psycho therapeutic treatments are available for people affected with bipolar disorder. Treatments may not only come as medication or therapy. Therapies are applied to patients to help them regain confidence and self-worth despite their conditions. Some people even use self-help therapy at home.

Two Ways

Medications to treat bipolar disorders are expected to be more than one, usually two; one medication for the mania and another medication for the disorder. These medications should be maintained to keep the moods properly balanced and to avoid rapid cycling of moods. To some patients, prescriptions for mood stabilizer which is a third medication, is highly required. Mood stabilizing medications alone or in combination with other antidepressants are generally prescribed to treat the illness.

Available Mood Stabilizers

There are many mood stabilizers available now. The most common of all is the Lithium, a sodium based medicine which is considered as the miracle drug for bipolar illness.

Based on reviews and researches, Lithium and sodium valproate (Depakote) are used as anti-convulsants. Other anti-convulsant medicine also include carbamazepine (Tegretol) and lamotigrine, which are shown to give more benefits to bipolar patients.

Antipsychotic medications like Quetiapine, olanzapine, and chlorpromazine are also proven to be effective as mono therapy for the treatment of bipolar disorder.

Other types of Bipolar Medication Treatment

Antidepressant medications may include citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil), and sertraline (Zoloft).  Among these four common medications, Celexa and Prozac are often times prescribed more by psychiatrist and physicians.

There are many ways to treat bipolar disorder in addition to medication. Treatments may be psychosocial which includes psychotherapy and the support and guidance of families and friends.

Some patients with mild cases of bipolar disorder would prefer self-help treatments or other alternative treatments rather than medication. Any kind of treatment requires the prescription and recommendation of a professional psychiatrist. And any kind of illness, especially bipolar disorder, would be treated well if the family or the people around you, including the patient himself, would know how to understand and accept the case.