Bipolar Disorder Medications

People with bipolar disorder understand that treatment consists of a series of trials and errors. Medications for bipolar disorder are stumbled upon by the medical field, and what works for one person will not always work for the next. Oftentimes, psychiatrists use medications that were not initially intended for the treatment of bipolar disorder. These medications have varying degrees of effectiveness, and they all come with different side effects that should be noted and considered before and during use.

Depakote is known to be an effective medication for the treatment of bipolar disorder. I. Initially, the medication was produced for the treatment of seizure disorder, but then it was discovered that it also helped with the manic side of bipolar disorder. Originally, Depakote was taken two times a day to treat bipolar disorder, once in the morning and once at night. Now, it comes in the form of Depakote ER, which is a timed release pill that only needs to be taken at night.

I took Depakote ER for eight months. I found that it helped stabilize manic moods very well. Before I started on the medication, I was prone to outbursts. I would get angry very quickly over nothing at all, and I was obsessed with certain issues. Depakote ER had a calming effect on me, but I still felt like myself. I no longer had outbursts. I was a reasonable person.

Unfortunately, Depakote does come with side effects. I was able to handle the slight trembling that occurred in my hands. Also, I was able to handle the drowsiness, as that went away after a couple of weeks of usage. Both of those side effects were worth dealing with in order to reap benefits. However, there was one side effect that I could no longer deal with. That was the hair loss. It began with me noticing extra hair in my brush. Then, clumps of hair started coming out in the shower. When I looked in the mirror, I noticed that my hair was getting very thin on the top.

After a visit to my psychiatrist, we decided to discontinue the Depakote. I was very disappointed, as it worked incredibly well, but I knew that if I became bald, I would have an entirely new set of problems that I didn't wish to deal with.

My psychiatrist then started me on Trileptal. Trileptal is also an anti seizure medication that is now being used to treat bipolar disorder. My psychiatrist was not certain that this medication would work, but he wanted to try me on it to see.

I did not experience many side effects with this medication. Actually, I did not notice much of anything. In two months time, I felt much worse than I had when I was on the Depakote, only my hair was growing back. I felt as if I wasn't on medication at all.

I went back to my psychiatrist, and he put me on Topamax, which is a medication that was originally used for treating migraines. I was somewhat excited about this medication, as one of the side effects is supposed to be weight loss. Who couldn't stand to lose a few pounds as a side effect?

It took several weeks for me to start to feel the effects of the Topamax. That is because I was started slowly on the drug, to lessen initial side effects. I started with a forth of my intended dosage, and finally built up to the dosage that I was to take. When I finally got to that dosage, I was incredibly tired. Food and drinks tasted different, but not bad. I didn't lose weight. I maintained a normal appetite the entire time.

Topamax had the worst side effects of all of the medications I'd taken. My motor skills slowed down considerably. Also, I had a difficult time thinking of words, such as mail box. The mail box became the big thing I put the stuff in. It may sound ridiculous, but Topamax was making me stupid.

That being said, it did stabilize my moods. However, it seemed to stabilize them a little too much. I no longer had moods at all. I was not happy, sad, or mad. I was a void. I was going through the motions instead of living. Things that I would normally enjoy meant nothing to me, yet I wasn't depressed. Also, my performance at work was suffering. I was very apathetic toward everything, including my job.

For three months, I stuck with the Topamax. I was somewhat shy about going back to the psychiatrist to complain about another medication. Eventually, though, I realized that the Topamax was interfering with my life and it needed to be changed. .

I went into the psychiatrist this time with ideas of my own. I decided that it was my body, and I needed to have a vested interest in my treatment. My psychiatrist and I sat down and I discussed with him my ideas and asked for his input.

We decided to try a different method of treatment. While we both agreed that the Depakote was definitely the most effective medication for me, we decided to give Prozac a try in hopes that by helping with the depression and anxiety, my moods would subside. Also, we agreed that seeing a psychotherapist once a week would be beneficial for me.

We started on twenty milligrams of Prozac. While I felt better, I didn't feel that the dosage was strong enough, and my doctor upped it to forty milligrams. Also, I started seeing a wonderful psychotherapist who helped me immensely.

Prozac comes with side effects, but they were not that bad, at least in my case. Initially, I got headaches, but after a month, they went away. I have very vivid dreams, but that is something I can live with.

Between the Prozac and the counseling, I believe that I am as close to stable as I am going to get. Maybe someday there will be a miracle drug that comes out and treats bipolar disorder directly. However, right now, that is not the case. Instead, psychiatrists and doctors have to play around in order to find an effective treatment.

If you have bipolar disorder, it is important to take an active role in your treatment. Don't get discouraged if the first, second, or even third medications aren't right for you. In most case, a patient will find a medication that works. It might just take some time to get the right one in your system. When that right medication is found, you will find that it was well worth the work.