| Side Effects of Bipolar Medicines |
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| Health and Fitness - Depression |
| Written by Gary Pearson |
| Saturday, 13 September 2008 09:05 |
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It is true that there is no known total solution for bipolar disorder; nevertheless you can manage the ailment with the help of various bipolar medications. How well you manage the illness in the long period of time is the main importance of the treatment of bipolar disorder.
It is true that there is no known total solution for bipolar disorder; nevertheless you can manage the ailment with the help of various bipolar medications. How well you manage the illness in the long period of time is the main importance of the treatment of bipolar disorder. You also have a number of psychological methods other than the medicines to treat the condition. The two important techniques are behavior modification and counseling. Most people with bipolar disorder require a combination of bipolar medications, with little evidence supporting the idea that alternative or complementary treatments used alone work well for the long term treatement of the disease. The main job of the bipolar medications is to decrease depression and agitation bouts in the patient. These medicines are also known as mood stabilizers. Some of the medicines which are suggested for bipolar disorder by the doctors are lamotrigine, lithium, anticonvulsants like valproic acid and carbamazepine. Bipolar medication can also include antipsychotics for treatement of mania. Quetiapine, olanzapine, and risperidone are these types of bipolar mediations. Generally, mood stabalizing drugs are more effective at treating or preventing manic episodes, but some medications have a good track record of treating bipolar depression, including lamotrigine, fluoxetine, and quetiapine. Bipolar medications, while necessary, do have side effects. Lithium, for example may be associated with nausea and diarreha, memory problems, weight gain, and so forth. Lower doses have little to no side effects and the higher the dose, the greater the risk of side effects. Anticonvulsant medications commonly cause sedation, weight gain, electrolyte disturbances, or other side effects. Bipolar medication that is an atypical antipsychotic can have side effects like sedation, weight gain, hyperglycemia, and restlessness. Bipolar medication will work differently for each patient, and since bipolar disorder is episodic, it may be hard to tell which medications are having the desired effect. For this reason, patients and doctors shouldn't expect immediate relief, and shouldn't expect full stabilization of moods for at least four weeks after starting bipolar medication. About the Author: Gary Pearson is an accomplished author. |