You'll typically need
Valproic acid, also known as divalproex or valproate, is a highly effective mood stabilizer. Common brand names include Depakote and Depakene. Valproic acid is often the first choice for rapid cycling, mixed mania, or mania with hallucinations or delusions.
Relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, yoga, and guided imagery can be very effective at reducing stress and keeping you on an even keel. A daily relaxation practice can improve your mood and keep depression at bay. Make leisure time a priority.
In December 2021, the FDA approved Caplyta for bipolar depression. It can be used by itself or in combination with lithium or valproate. Caplyta is a once-daily oral pill that needs no dose changes. Caplyta has some serious risks, but they're rare.
For roughly one-third of people diagnosed with bipolar disorder, lithium is a miracle drug, effectively treating both their mania and depression. But once someone is diagnosed, it can take up to a year to learn whether that person will be among the 30 percent who respond to lithium or the 70 percent who do not.
First-line treatments for bipolar depressive episodes include lithium or lamotrigine monotherapy. For more severe cases, can add second mood stabilizer (e.g., lamotrigine combined with lithium or divalproex).
There is no specific bipolar diet. Nevertheless, it is important to make wise dietary choices that will help you maintain a healthy weight and stay well. These choices include: Avoiding the "Western" style diet that's rich in red meats, saturated fats and trans fats, and simple carbohydrates.
Quetiapine covers ground that lithium does not. It is more effective against mixed manias, while lithium is preferred for the purer, euphoric highs. It also works better in acute depressive episodes.
Now another medicine that can make the illness worse is the use of a traditional antidepressant -- a traditional antidepressant by itself, in particular. And that can make someone go from being depressed to being hypomanic or manic.
A stressful circumstance or situation often triggers the symptoms of bipolar disorder. Examples of stressful triggers include: the breakdown of a relationship. physical, sexual or emotional abuse.
Arguments with your spouse, chilly weather, grief — a number of scenarios may provoke bipolar mania or depression. Certain medications, seasonal changes, and alcohol could trigger bipolar mood episodes, experts say. Here's why. Bipolar disorder is characterized by unusual shifts in mood and energy.
Can someone with bipolar disorder be OK without medication? Bipolar disorder is a lifelong, progressive mental health condition, which means that it requires long-term treatment. The symptoms won't go away on their own — and these symptoms can negatively impact the person's health, safety, and quality of life.
No two people with bipolar disorder share the same thoughts or experiences, but there are some common thought patterns among most folks who have it. This includes cyclical thinking, manic and/or depressive episodes, suicidal ideation, and psychosis.
Short-term side effects can include nausea and diarrhoea, muscle weakness or a dazed feeling. A long-term side effect can be weight gain. Your lithium dose needs to be adjusted to suit you. Go for your blood tests to make sure you have the right amount in your system.
It has long been known that lithium has toxic effects on the thyroid gland and the kidneys. The thyroid toxicity, caused primarily by lithium's interference with thyroid hormones' release from the gland (19) affects up to 19% of treated patients (20).
There is a link between low vitamin D levels and bipolar disorder.
Bipolar disorder may reduce gray matter volume
Gray matter contributes in some way to every aspect of human life. A 2016 meta-analysis found a significantly lower volume of gray matter in the brains of people with bipolar disorder compared with those of people without the condition.
While bipolar disorder can't be cured, symptoms can be controlled with an effective treatment plan. Are you struggling with your mental health? Call us today to get help. Bipolar disorder may worsen with age or over time if the condition is left untreated.
Bipolar disorder is frequently inherited, with genetic factors accounting for approximately 80% of the cause of the condition. Bipolar disorder is the most likely psychiatric disorder to be passed down from family. If one parent has bipolar disorder, there's a 10% chance that their child will develop the illness.
SSRIs that have been shown to help with anger include citalopram (Celexa), fluoxetine (Prozac), sertraline (Zoloft), among others.
Aripiprazole,Latuda, Vraylar, and ziprasidone may not impact your weight. Anti-obesity medication could be another option in the future. Researchers need to learn more about how they affect people with bipolar disorder. This is important since people with the condition are likely to be obese (BMI of 30 or more).