Mood stabilizers are typically used to treat bipolar disorder and mood changes associated with other mental disorders. In some cases, health care providers may prescribe mood stabilizers to augment the effect of other medications used to treat depression. Lithium , an effective mood stabilizer, is approved for the treatment of mania and maintenance treatment of bipolar disorder. Some studies indicate that lithium may reduce the risk of suicide among people taking it for long-term maintenance. Health care providers generally ask people who are taking lithium to participate in regular monitoring to check lithium levels and kidney and thyroid function.
Mood stabilizers are sometimes used to treat depression (usually with an antidepressant), schizoaffective disorder, disorders of impulse control, and certain mental illnesses in children. For people with bipolar depression, health care providers typically prescribe a mood stabilizer and an antidepressant to reduce the risk of switching into mania or rapid cycling.
Some anticonvulsant medications may also be used as mood stabilizers, as they may work better than lithium for some people, such as people with “mixed” symptoms of mania and depression or those with rapid-cycling bipolar disorder. Health care providers generally ask people taking anticonvulsants to participate in regular monitoring to check medication levels and assess side effects and potential interactions with other common medications.
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