Mood Stabilizing Bipolar Medications

In the treatment of bipolar disorder, mood stabilizing medications are the most commonly prescribed for the symptoms with Lithium being the first medication used in this way which still remains widely in use today.

These mood stabilizers -of which many are now referred to as anticonvulsants- are primarily used to treat the mania and hypomania symptoms of this disorder but some of these can also have the capabilities to act as an antidepressant. In this medical guide on bipolar disorder, we will take a look at some of the most common mood stabilizing medications in use today for the treatment of this mental illness.

Anticonvulsants

Anticonvulsants were first utilized as treatment in patients who had epilepsy and physicians discovered that this medication also had a positive effect in stabilizing the moods of these patients. Anticonvulsants are now commonly used alone or in combination with other medications to treat the symptoms of mania and hypomania associated with bipolar disorder.

These medications work to control the symptoms of hyperactivity which occur in the brain and are commonly prescribed to patients who experience the "rapid cycling" episodes of bipolar disorder. The most common anticonvulsants prescribed are Depakote, Tegretol, Lamictal, and Trileptal.

Antipsychotics

Antipsychotics are typically used in the treatment of serious symptoms of bipolar disorder that can result in psychosis as it is estimated that two thirds of individuals with bipolar disorder develop a form of psychosis in severe episodes of mania. They are also prescribed for some individuals who are having an episode of mania until the effects of other mood stabilizers can kick in.

In some cases, these antipsychotics are used as an ongoing form of treatment for mood stability. Olanzapine is an antipsychotic drug which has been proven to be effective for the symptoms of mania particularly in those individuals who experience the "mixed episodes" of bipolar disorder symptoms and has also been proven to be just as effective as Lithium. Other known antipsychotic drugs to be effective in bipolar disorder are Clozapine, Quetiapine, and Ziprasidone.