What is the Treatment for Bipolar Disorder?
How do we treat bipolar disorder? Specifically, how do we treat
mania or depression associated with bipolar disorder? The
treatment of these two clinical states is not the same.
The treatment of mania is dependent upon its severity and
acuity. For mild to moderate mania, mood stabilizers such as
lithium and valproic acid (Valproate) are still the standard of
treatment and may be sufficient to contain the symptoms. Lithium
starts to work after 10 to 14 days while valproic acid, about 7
to 10 days.
Also, recent studies have shown the effectiveness of atypical
antipsychotics such as risperidone, olanzapine, and quetiapine
even when used alone to treat the acute phase of bipolar
disorder.
These drugs are relatively safe but they don