Bipolar disorder is a condition that is marked by alternating periods of abnormally elevated mood and behavior (manic episodes) and abnormally low mood and behavior (depressive episodes). Medications for bipolar treatment are typically given to help control both aspects of the disorder. As a result, many patients with bipolar disorder will need to take multiple medications in combination to try to stabilize their mood.
Lithium
Lithium is one of the most commonly used medications to treat bipolar disorder and works by decreasing abnormal brain activity, thus helping to prevent manic episodes. Lithium can also cause a number of side effects, however, including uncontrollable hand twitching, restlessness, dry mouth (or abnormal saliva production), nausea and loss of appetite, muscle pain, brittle hair and/or fingernails, constipation, bloating, sudden changes in weight, depression, swollen lips or tongue, changes in your sense of taste, hair loss and acne. Some patients also become very thirsty and have involuntary muscle movements.
SSRI
Although lithium is used to treat the manic episodes, the other aspect of bipolar disorder (depression) needs to be treated separately. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are commonly used to treat depression in people with bipolar disorder. SSRIs can cause a number of side effects, including changes in sex drive, nausea, diarrhea/constipation, dry mouth, increased sweating, indigestion, heartburn, stomach pain, runny nose, sneezing and symptoms that resemble the flu. These side effects typically go away after a few months of use, however, or can be minimized by trying different kinds of SSRIs.
Anticonvulsants
Some patients with bipolar disorder do not get adequate control of their manic episodes with lithium. These patients may be prescribed anticonvulsants (such as oxcarbazepine) to help control their mania. These kinds of anticonvulsants can have strong side effects, however, such as changes in vision (including double vision) as well as uncontrollable eye movements, nausea, constipation/diarrhea, drowsiness, slowed movements and thoughts, problems with speech and memory, as well as muscle weakness or tightness, toothaches and earaches, hot flushing and increased sweating.
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