Increasing Knowledge about Prevalent Bipolar Medicinal Options
Lithium Salt
Lithium is the most common and highest prescribed of the bipolar medications used to treat bipolar disorder. It continues to be the gold standard and is seen as the most effective drug in bipolar treatment. Lithium treats mania along with depression, therefore reducing the cycling between both. It has also been proven to reduce the risk of suicide among people suffering from bipolar disorder.
Lithium is a natural mineral salt, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t come with potentially dangerous side effects. These potential problems include digestion issues, weight gain, urinary control limits, potential kidney damage, slowed thinking, chronic tiredness and sometimes tremors.
Lithium can also be toxic at too high of a dose, so it’s important to only take your recommended dosage and to see your doctor often so you can have your blood levels monitored for lithium levels. High lithium levels can be toxic, damaging the thyroid and the kidney.
Divalproex Sodium
Divalproex sodium is the generic name for Depakote, an anti-seizure medication typically prescribed for people living with bipolar disorder. The drug is effective at treating mania and preventing manic episodes, but does little to counteract depression and therefore must be prescribed in conjunction with an antidepressant. Common side effects include hair loss, fertility issues for women, weight gain and high toxicity in the pancreas and liver.
Lamictal Antidepressant
Lamictal is a drug designed to reduce the frequency of manic and depression cycles. It also has strong antidepressant properties and, its main attraction is that it’s not associated with weight gain. Possible side effects include skin reactions, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, blurred vision, and headaches.
Tegretol
Though Tegretol typically isn’t used to treat depression, it is an effective anti-manic or anti-mania drug. It controls psychotic episodes and instances of mania, but its side effects include high toxicity levels in the liver, blurry vision and nausea. It can also interfere with the effectiveness of oral contraceptives.
Trileptal
Like Tegretol, Trileptal is used to control episodes of mania. However, it’s not as effective as Tegretol. That said, the side effects are drastically reduced and not as damaging to the liver as Tegretol. If you’re using oral contraceptives, be aware that Trileptal can interfere with their efficacy.
Topomax for Weight Control
Typically, Topomax prescriptions are used along with other drugs for bipolar disease. Its main function is to prevent the increase of weight, and in fact often results in a decrease. But it can have some unintended impacts that include slower mental capacity, a sense of feeling a bit spacey, and general inattentiveness. Benefits of oral contraceptives are disrupted as well.
Zyprexa
Zyprexa is a drug that’s often prescribed to people living with bipolar disorder as part of their medications, but it’s mainly used as an anti-psychotic drug and is very powerful. It’s available in a generic form known as olanzapine.
