What are mood stabilizer medications?

Mood stabilizers are a primary class of medication used alongside treatments like antipsychotics to manage mood disorders such as bipolar disorder. In conditions like bipolar II disorder, they help control alternating episodes of major depression and hypomania. Using certain medications like antidepressants without mood stabilizers can sometimes worsen symptoms or risk switching states.

What we know

• Mood stabilizers are used as a mainstay in the treatment of bipolar disorder alongside antipsychotics. [4]
• Bipolar II disorder is typically managed through a combination of medications, such as mood stabilizers and atypical antipsychotics, as well as psychotherapy. [2]
• Antidepressant use in the absence of mood stabilizers is correlated with worsening bipolar II disorder symptoms. [2]

Still open

• Antidepressant use in bipolar disorder remains controversial, with some studies showing benefit and others noting risks of switching to hypomania or worsening rapid cycling.

Where to go next

• how it workedHow do antipsychotics treat bipolar disorder?
• compared withWhat are the differences between bipolar I and bipolar II?
• a case in pointWhat is hypomania?
• the bigger pictureWhat are psychoactive drugs?
• what followedWhat complications can arise from psychiatric medications?
• an unexpected connectionWhy do some psychiatric drugs cause priapism?Certain psychotropic medications, including specific antipsychotics and other psychopharmaceuticals, can induce medical emergencies like ischemic priapism as an adverse effect.

Sources

• [1]bipolar II disorder (Wikidata Q4086956) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Bipolar II disorder · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Psychoactive drug · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Antipsychotic · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Priapism · CC BY-SA 4.0