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Medications used to treat bipolar disorder include mood stabilizers as well as antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, and, when needed, medications for sleep.
Mood Stabilizers
Effective mood stabilizers include lithium, anticonvulsants, and antipsychotic medications. Choice of mood stabilizer(s) will vary according to the type of bipolar episode and other medical conditions experienced by the patient. For example, lithium is a good choice for patients who are at risk for suicide, but would not be chosen for patients with unstable kidney disease. Sometimes a combination of medications is more effective than one alone. The best choice of medications must always be made on an individual basis.
Mood Stabilizers are used to:- prevent bipolar disorder
- treat manic or mixed episodes
- reduce suicidal behavior and risk
- prevent switching into mania when a depressive episode is being treated
- decrease the intensity of episodes should they occur
- Lithium
- Anticonvulsants
- Carbamazepine
- Divalproex sodium
- Valproid acid
- Valproate
- Gabapentin
- Lamotrigine
- Oxcarbazepine
- Topiramate
- Atypical Antipsychotics
- Olanzapine
- Risperidone
- Quetiapine
- Ziprasidone
- Clozapine
- Aripiprazole