Bipolar Disorder Medications Available For You
Drug therapy is one of the most important parts of treatment for bipolar disorder. It is critical that you are well educated about any prescription medications that you are taking. Self medication can be very dangerous, especially with a disorder that usually requires that you take more than one medication each day. It is critical that you take the exact amount of prescribed medication each day. Often times certain medications will require that they be taken with food, water to prevent dehydration, or just before bedtime. It is also critical that you never mix your medication with alcohol, or drugs of any kind, even over the counter drugs without first consulting your doctor. Your dentist and even your eye doctor should know about any medication you are taking in order to avoid a possible medication mishap.
There are three general groups of bipolar disorder medications. They are antidepressant medications that are used to treat depressive disorders: tricyclics, monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI), and lithium. Until recently, doctors were using lithium more often than any other medications in the treatment of bipolar disorder. The right medication for you will depend on your personal health history and your response to medications. Like any other medications, the ones used to treat bipolar disorder will not produce the same effect in every one. Some people will respond better to one medication than another, and some people may need smaller doses of the medication than others. Many people will experience side effects, while someone else taking the same dosage and medication will experience different side effects, or none at all. Your diet, habits, such as smoking, and exercise, body size, age, sex, and physical condition will all influence how your body will respond to the medication you are prescribed.
Most people want to stop using their prescribed medication as soon as they start to feel better, however it is important to continue the treatment until your doctor says that you can stop. Stopping medication must be done gradually and in decreasing amounts so that your body has time to adjust, and so that your symptoms don’t come back. Many anxious, or depressed people may need to take medication for a short period, maybe just a few months and then may never need to take it again. For many people suffering from bipolar disorder, medication may very well become a part of their every day life in order to avoid the crippling symptoms and affects of the disorder.
To help ensure the effectiveness of the patient’s treatment, their friends and families need to be active participants in the process. Your doctor will need to know about your family’s medical history, any other medications being taken, any major life changes that may have brought on a depression, and any other information that they may deem relative to your situation. Make sure that you are asking the right questions too. Understand the medication that you are taking, and understand exactly how it is supposed to be helping you, when do you take it, and with what types of food or drinks. Make sure that you also file a follow up examination after you have been on your medication with your doctor to discuss if and how you are improving. |