Great Tips: Antidepressants Help Bipolar If you are one of the millions of people who have bipolar disorder, you know that it can be a complex condition to manage.
While there is no one-size-fits-all cure for bipolar, there are several different treatments that can help make living with the condition more manageable.
One such treatment is antidepressant medication.
Antidepressants can be effective in helping to regulate moods and reduce symptoms of mania and depression.
If you are considering taking antidepressants to help with your bipolar disorder, here are some tips to keep in mind.
Traditional antidepressants are regarded as “experimental” in treating bipolar depression since none is more helpful than a placebo (sugar tablet) in bipolar I disease.
Furthermore, if taken alone, some may aggravate bipolar symptoms or reveal a manic episode.
In addition, studies have shown that when used with a mood stabilizer like lithium or Depakote, they may not provide any further help for bipolar depression. Your doctor may prescribe SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) to treat depression in bipolar disorder.
Furthermore, lithium or other mood-stabilizing drugs like valproate, carbamazepine, or an atypical antipsychotic may be used.
When an antidepressant is adequate for someone with bipolar depression, it is believed to enhance the activity of nerve cells in the brain that communicate via the neurotransmitter serotonin.
Among the antidepressants in this class are:
• citalopram (Celexa)
• escitalopram (Lexapro) • fluoxetine (Prozac) • fluvoxamine (Luvox) • Paroxetine (Paxil) • Sertraline (Zoloft) • Vilazodone (Viibryd) • Vortioxetine (Trintellix) • Brintellix
Newer antidepressants target the serotonin transporter and other serotonin receptors in the brain. Most antidepressants take many weeks to become effective.
Though the first one works for most individuals, some may need to try two or three before finding the correct one.
Your doctor suggested a sedative to alleviate anxiety, agitation, or sleep issues while the antidepressant takes effect.
SSRI Side Effects The adverse effects of SSRIs are often milder than those of previous antidepressant classes.
However, there are several techniques for dealing with the frequent adverse effects of SSRIs if they occur, and specific side effects may occur very temporarily at the start of treatment.
Common side effects of SSRIs include:
• Nausea • Nervousness • Insomnia • Diarrhea • Rash • Agitation • Erectile dysfunction • Loss of libido • Weight fluctuation
SSRIs and other antidepressants have the risk of producing mania in persons with bipolar illness.
Monitoring signs of heightened activity, reduced sleep need, or unusual and extreme mood elevation might be challenging.
Therefore, the FDA also advises that young persons using SSRIs or other antidepressants be regularly monitored for signs of increasing depression or the appearance of suicidal ideation.
In addition, it can be challenging to determine whether suicidal thoughts or actions that arise or develop during antidepressant therapy.
It is caused by the antidepressant or by the persistent depression that the antidepressant may not be adequately addressed.
As a result, the FDA recommends that patients receiving these medications be closely monitored, particularly at therapy and throughout dosage increases.
Final Thought
If you are one of the millions of people who have bipolar disorder, it can be a complex condition to manage.
While there is no one-size-fits-all cure for bipolar, there are many different treatments that can help make living with the condition more manageable.
One such treatment is antidepressant medication.
Antidepressants can be effective in helping to regulate moods and reduce symptoms of mania and depression.
If you are considering taking antidepressants to help with your bipolar disorder, here are some tips to keep in mind before beginning this type of treatment: take a call
