What types of medication are likely to be offered and what side effects do they cause?
There are a number of medications, which can help in reducing mood swings. These fall into three broad categories • mood stabilizers (e.g. lithium, carbamazepine, sodium valproate, lamotrigine) can be described as maintenance treatments. They are taken long-term to prevent manic and depressive episodes. • anti-depressants (e.g. Prozac, Efexor, Imipramine) are used to treat and control depressive episodes • major tranquillizers (sometimes called ‘anti-psychotics’), which are used to treat and control manic episodes. (Examples of the older drugs are chlorpromazine and Haloperidol; the newer ‘atypicals’ generally have less unpleasant side effects (e.g. Olanzapine and Risperidone) Different medications, and combinations of medications, suit different people and the side effects experienced also differ. It is a question of balancing the benefits against the side effects experienced in determining if a particular medication is suitable. If side effects outweigh the benefits then alternative
