Explains what bipolar disorder is, as well as different diagnoses and treatments. Offers information on how you can support someone with bipolar and tips for self-management.
If you get a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, it's likely that your psychiatrist or GP will offer you medication.
This page covers:
To help decide which medication to offer, your doctor might need to look into factors such as:
If you're currently experiencing a manic or hypomanic episode, your doctor is likely to prescribe you an antipsychotic.
Your doctor is also likely to prescribe antipsychotics if you experience psychotic symptoms in an episode of mania or severe depression.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) – the organisation that produces guidelines on best practice in healthcare – recommends the following antipsychotics:
If your first antipsychotic doesn't work, your doctor might offer another from the list above. If the second doesn't work, your doctor might offer lithium to take together with an antipsychotic.
If you take an antipsychotic, you'll need to have regular health checks with your doctor.
For more information, see our pages on antipsychotics.
Your doctor might prescribe lithium as a long-term treatment for bipolar disorder. It can help to:
It’s typically a long-term treatment, usually prescribed for at least six months.
For lithium to be effective, the dosage must be correct. You'll need regular blood and health checks while taking lithium, to make sure the levels are right for you.
For more information, see our page on lithium.
“I was really quite unwell. Then my psychiatrist changed my medication. I began taking lithium and it really worked for me. I started feeling better pretty quickly.”
Three anticonvulsant drugs, used as mood stabilisers, are licensed to treat bipolar disorder:
For more information, see our pages on mood stabilisers.
“Medication can help keep your moods on an even keel, but it is trial and error.”
Your doctor might offer you a type of antidepressant medication, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Antidepressants might be offered in combination with one of the medications described above.
Remember: always check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any medications together, or closely following one another. The medications could interact badly with each other.
For example, combining lithium with SSRIs can increase the risk of side effects like serotonin syndrome.
For more information, see our pages on antidepressants.
“It took me almost 11 years of living with the disorder before I found the right medication to keep my episodes at bay, and my moods properly stabilised.”
This information was published in February 2022. We will revise it in 2025.
References and bibliography available on request.
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