Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder that affects approximately 5.7 million Americas.
It is characterized by having severe mood swings, sometimes daily. Moods can range from extreme highs and feelings of euphoria to extreme lows, feelings of depression.
You may experience a lack of motivation and a lack of interest in things that once interested you. Extreme happiness and highs, that can crash down into feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and despair.
There are many types of Bipolar disorder. They include:
- Bipolar I Disorder: Bipolar I disorder is diagnosed when an individual experiences manic episodes that last for at least seven days or are severe enough to require immediate hospitalization. Depressive episodes may also occur, lasting for at least two weeks (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).
- Bipolar II Disorder: Bipolar II disorder is diagnosed when an individual experiences hypomanic episodes (less severe than full-blown mania) that last for at least four days and depressive episodes lasting for at least two weeks. Hypomanic episodes are characterized by elevated mood and increased energy (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).
- Cyclothymic Disorder: Cyclothymic disorder involves chronic mood instability with numerous periods of hypomanic and depressive symptoms that do not meet the criteria for full-blown manic or depressive episodes. The symptoms must persist for at least two years (one year in children and adolescents) (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).
Symptoms of Bipolar
Some core symptoms include:
Mania
Depression
Aggression that’s uncharacteristic
Irritability
Needing little sleep
Grandiosity
Impulsivity
Crying spells
Lack of motivation
Inattention
Confusion
Let’s continue on to medications that can help alleviate symptoms.
Antipsychotics for Bipolar
Antipsychotic medications are prescribed for psychotic disorders including schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. They are also used for people with autism.
They work on chemicals in the brain that can affect psychosis, such as serotonin and dopamine.
These medications take approximately 4 to 6 weeks for symptoms like hallucinations and delusions to improve.
Typical or first-generation Antipsychotics include:
Chlorpromazine / Thorazine
Haloperidol / Haldol
Perphenazine / Trilafon
Fluphenazine / Prolixin
Atypical or second-generation antipsychotics are newer and thought to cause fewer side effects. These include:
Aripiprazole / Abilify
Risperidone / Risperdal
Clozapine / Clozaril
Olanzapine / Zyprexa
Paliperidone / Invega Sustenna
Quetiapine / Seroquel
Brexpiprazole / Rexulti
Cariprazine / Vyralar
CAUTION
May Come with Side Effects
Some Side effect profiles for antipsychotic medications include:
Blurred Vision
Vomiting
Nausea
Dizziness
Dry Mouth
Akathisa/Restlessness
Seizures
Constipation
Weight Gain
Tardive Dyskinesia
Sexual Problems
Low Blood Pressure
Low White Blood Cell Count
Mood Stabilizers
for Bipolar
These medications are prescribed to people suffering from mood swings, very high, euphoric moods, to dropping down to low depressed moods.
Mood stabilizers treat mania, hypomania, and/or depression.
All mood stabilizers work for different affected moods. As lithium helps with mania, and Lamictal helps get rid of the depressive side of disorders like bipolar II.
Some mood stabilizers include:
Lithium
Depakote
Lamictal
Tegretol
Depakene
Latuda
CAUTION
May Come with Side Effects
Some side effects may occur when starting a mood stabilizer. These may include hair loss, rashes, nausea, weight gain, tremors, liver damage, kidney damage, sexual problems, diarrhea, and more.
SSRI’s for Bipolar
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) are the most commonly prescribed class of antidepressants. The work on the brain inhibits the reuptake of the neurotransmitter serotonin. This is thought to increase levels of serotonin in the brain. This neurotransmitter is involved with happiness and mood.
SSRIs include:
fluoxetine / Prozac
sertraline / Zoloft
citalopram / Celexa
escitalopram / Lexapro
paroxetine / Paxil
fluvoxamine / Luvox
CAUTION
May Come with Side Effects
Common side effects of SSRIs include nausea, insomnia, nervousness, anxiety, akathisia, restlessness, tremors, and shaky limbs, as well as sexual problems.
You can also visit healthline to find more information about bipolar medications and their side effects.
References:
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.
National Institute of Mental Health. (2021). Bipolar Disorder. Retrieved from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/bipolar-disorder/index.shtml
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