Bipolar disorder is a form of mental illness characterized by alternating episodes of profound depression and exaggerated euphoria, or mania. In a depressive phase, an individual can find it hard to carry out normal daily functions, and may feel worthless or even suicidal. In a manic phase, the person may engage in excessive and self-destructive pleasure-seeking behaviors. Topomax, an anticonvulsive drug traditionally used for treating epilepsy, is sometimes prescribed as a bipolar disorder medication, but alternatives to topomax are also available.
Lithium
According to Psychguides.com, lithium is actually an element, rather than a lab-synthesized chemical compound, but its effectiveness as a medication to treat bipolar disorder has been documented since the 1950s. Like topomax, lithium acts as a mood stabilizer, and is most helpful in treating euphoric mania. Less success has been found in patients using lithium to treat rapid-cycling bipolar disorder, which is characterized by shorter and more frequent swings between depression and mania.
Anticonvulsants
According to the National Institutes of Health, anticonvulsant medications are used as mood stabilizers and are considered to be the best medicinal line of defense against the symptoms of bipolar disorder. Topomax is an anticonvulsive drug, but other anticonvulsants such as valproate, carbamazepine, gabapentin and zonisamide have also been used.
Lamotrigine, or lamictal, is helpful in maintenance treatment during emotionally stable periods, as well as in treating the depressive phase of bipolar disorder. It is said to have less side effects than other anticonvulsants, aside from its tendency to cause serious rashes in three out of every thousand persons who take it.
The Food and Drug Administration has warned that those taking anticonvulsants should be closely monitored for signs of suicidal behavior that sometimes occurs as a side effect of these medications.
Antidepressants
Antidepressants are sometimes used in the treatment of bipolar disorder, though MedlinePLus warns that manic episodes are more common when a bipolar person begins taking antidepressant medications. Because of this, antidepressants are used in conjunction with mood stabilizers when treating this disorder. Fluoxetine, paroxetine and sertraline are some of the antidepressants currently prescribed for bipolar disorder.
The National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH) states that research has not conclusively established antidepressants as an effective bipolar disorder medication. A comparative study performed by the NIMH found placebos to be equally successful to antidepressants in treating this condition.
Antipsychotics
NIMH lists atypical antipsychotics among the medications that are useful in treating bipolar disorder. These are often teamed with other medications. Specific antipsychotic drugs that NIMH mentions include clozapine, which aids those who are unresponsive to mood stabilizers such as lithium or anticonvulsants, and olanzapine, which is said to be helpful in cases of depression accompanied by delusions or hallucinations.
