Bipolar Disorder Treatment and Prevention

As the nature and severity of the disorder varies considerably from person to person, treatment should be tailored to the needs of each patient. Most people with this disorder are prescribed drugs called psychoregulators or mood regulator. Lithium is the most used psychoregulator. It is effective in about 70% of cases of bipolar disorder since it reduces fluctuations between depression and mania. However, it is less effective in the presence of certain forms, including bipolar disorder in rapid cycles (where patients suffer rapid fluctuations between depression and mania and have at least four episodes per year) and mixed (where the manic and depressive symptoms are present at the same time). As the effects of lithium do not occur until 1 to 2 weeks, often prescribed drugs is given, also called as antipsychotics (haloperidol on, for example) to relieve symptoms until the lithium takes effect. Given the side effects and the risk of drug interactions associated with lithium, and the need to maintain the blood medication to a precise level to ensure its effectiveness, people receiving this treatment must be the subject of strict medical surveillance. The potential side effects of lithium, which are more pronounced in the elderly include tremors, muscle spasms, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, thirst, frequent need to urinate, weight gain, worsening of psoriasis acneiform, headache, confusion, dizziness and convulsions.

Other psychoregulators include medicines more recently being marketed as carbamazepine (TegretolMD) and divalproex (EpivalMD). Associated with fewer side effects, these drugs are effective against bipolar disorder, lithium as the form cycles and rapid mixed. These drugs still a need close medical supervision, because carbamazepine can reduce the number of red blood cells and divalproex can cause liver disorders, especially among children.

Some people who are take psychoregulators feel less alert and creative and want to abandon it. Psychotherapy is often recommended to help patients understand the mechanism of action of the drug and the type of relief it can get. Often, the therapist organizes group sessions to enable the patient's family to understand his condition. Education and psychotherapy are an important part of treatment of bipolar disorder.

In addition to psychoregulators, medicines called antidepressants are sometimes used during depressive episodes. These drugs alter the concentrations of certain chemicals in the brain to improve the mood of the person. The doctor should ensure close supervision of patients with bipolar disorder, given that antidepressants may cause the switch to a manic or hypomanic episode, ie a more mild mania. They can also accelerate fluctuations between depression and mania. Inhibitors of monoamine oxidase (MAOIs), who form a group of antidepressants, as buproprion (WelbutrinMD) result in a slower transition between cycles compared to other antidepressants.

The doctor may prescribe a light therapy, called phototherapy, in which the patient suffers from bipolar disorder is placed in a closed room with artificial lighting. If the person has a depressive episode, the lighting is increased to simulate the longer days of summer. If the person is fussy, light is reduced to resemble the days of winter. The doctor must carefully mix the right amount of light. If the patient receives too much light, it can become hypomanic or be suffering from a disorder of sight.