Bipolar disease is a serious brain illness which causes extreme ups and downs in behavior. According to the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, a child is 15 to 30 percent more likely to be diagnosed with it if one parent suffers from it, and 50 to 75 percent more likely if both parents have it. Medications are available to treat bipolar disease in children, however not every medication will work in every child. It can be a matter of trial and error before the best medication is found for your child.
Antipsychotics
Antipsychotic medications such as Risperdal, Seroquel and Zyprexa are often prescribed for children experiencing manic episodes. According to HealthyPlace.com, these medications are effective for children who become delusional or experience hallucinations. Some are even effective in managing outbursts of rage and aggression.
According to DR. Roger Z. Samuel of PrimaryPsychiatry.com, there may be serious side effects for children taking antipsychotics, especially when the medications are used long-term. These side effects include sedation, weight gain, akathisia (a condition that causes the child to feel restless, making him unable to sit still), tardive dyskinesia (a condition causing and involuntary rolling of the tongue or twitching of the face) and neuromalignant syndrome. The last is a rare but life-threatening condition that develops from an adverse reaction to psychotic drugs.
Mood Stabilizers
Mood stabilizers are used to either prevent, or provide relief from, sudden episodes of both mania and depression. To be considered a mood stabilizer, a drug must have the ability to accomplish the above. It must also not be more of a hindrance to your child's condition (e.g. make episodes of mania or depression worse, or increase periods of cycling between the two symptoms). The most commonly prescribed mood stabilizers for children, according to HealthyPlace,com, are lithium, divalproex and carbamazepine.
Lithium also falls into the antidepressant class, but is used to combat severe manic episodes. According to Psychology Information Online.com, the most common side effects seen initially include drowsiness, nausea, fatigue, an increase in thirst and urination, weakness, vomiting and hand tremors. These typically subside shortly after beginning the medication.
Modern-psychiatry.com states that while divalproex (Depakote) and carbamazepine (Tegretol), are both anticonvulsants, they are often prescribed by doctors for the treatment of bipolar in children. They appear to be effective in stabilizing a child's mood, however there are side effects which accompany them.The most common side effects associated with divalproex include weight gain, hair loss, change in appetite, dizziness, constipation and drowsiness. The most likely side effects of carbamazepine in children include dizziness, nausea, vomiting, unsteadiness and drowsiness.
Antipsychotics
Antipsychotics are often used as an add-on treatment to mood stabilizers and antidepressants. There are two types of antipsychotics: typical (older medications) and atypical (newer medications). According to HealthyPlace.com, atypical antipsychotics are typically the first choice of treatment for bipolar in children because the side effects, both short and long-term, are not as serious. There are five antipsychotics available for the treatment of bipoar disease in children, and they include Zyprexa, Risperdal, Abilify, Clozaril and Seroquel. The most common side effects reported with these drugs include weight gain and drowsiness.
