Articles Index
SSRI Discontinuation Syndrome
SSRI discontinuation syndrome is a danger when you reduce the dosage of or stop taking an SSRI antidepressant such as Paxil or Lexapro. Here are some practical tips for tapering off antidepressants that cannot safely be stopped all at once.
SSRI Discontinuation Syndrome
Have you and your doctor discussed your stopping taking antidepressants? Here is a look at the causes and symptoms of SSRI Discontinuation Syndrome, which can occur when a person stops taking or reduces dosage of certain antidepressants.
Inpatient Psychiatric Care Experiences
The thought of inpatient psychiatric care may be very frightening. Here, from someone who knows, is a detailed description of what you may encounter during inpatient psychiatric care at a hospital.
What Is Dialectical Behavioral Therapy?
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), often called DBT therapy, is a method of treatment that was devised by Marsha Linehan, faculty at the University of Washington in Seattle, for the treatment of borderline personality disorder (BPD). Because of its success and due to similar behavior patterns, DBT therapy is now being used in many settings as a viable therapy for the treatment of bipolar disorder.
Dual Diagnosis
Dual diagnosis means bipolar disorder plus alcohol and/or substance abuse. Identifying and treating people with a dual diagnosis is riddled with difficulties.
What is Schizoaffective Disorder?
Difficult to define and difficult to diagnose, schizoaffective disorder combines elements of a mood disorder with those of schizophrenia. What distinguishes schizoaffective disorder from other similar conditions is the way in which the psychotic features and mood episodes present themselves.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids for Bipolar Disorder
Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oils and flaxseed oil have been recommended as supplements for people with bipolar disorder. Here are some insights and experience from members of the About Bipolar Disorder Community about their personal experiences with using Omega-3 as a treatment.
Zoloft Side Effects
List of Zoloft side effects. Zoloft - generic name sertraline - is an SSRI antidepressant which may be prescribed for the treatment of depression, bipolar disorder and other mental illnesses. Patients taking Zoloft should be aware of the potential side effects.
Lithium Side Effects
List of Lithium side effects. Lithium - sold under various brand names - is a naturally occurring element prescribed as a mood stabilizer in treating bipolar disorder. Patients taking Lithium should be aware of the potential side effects of this drug.
Neurontin Side Effects
List of Neurontin side effects. Neurontin - generic gabapentin - is an anticonvulsant medication which may also be prescribed as a mood stabilizer in the treatment of bipolar disorder. Patients taking Neurontin should be aware of the potential side effects.
Prozac Side Effects
List of Prozac side effects. Prozac - generic Fluoxetine - is an SSRI antidepressant medication used in the treatment of depression, bipolar disorder and other mental illnesses. Prozac side effects are wide-ranging from minor to serious. Patients taking Prozac should be aware of the potential side effects.
Lithium: The First Mood Stabilizer
The discovery that Lithium was a mood stabilizer for manic depression came 50 years before scientists unlocked the secret to how it works. For the last several decades, Lithium has been one of the most common medications prescribed for bipolar disorder.
Bipolar Grandiosity
Bipolar grandiosity is a symptom manic depression occurring during mania, hypomania and mixed episodes. Here is a concise definition of bipolar grandiosity.
Xanax Side Effects
List of Xanax side effects. Xanax is an anti-anxiety medication in the benzodiazepine family which may be prescribed for the treatment of bipolar disorder / manic depression and other mental disorders. The generic name of Xanax is alprazolam.
Paxil Side Effects - Paroxetine
Catalogue of Paxil side effects. Paxil - generic Paroxetine - which is an SSRI medication sometimes prescribed in the treatment of bipolar disorder and other mental illnesses. Paxil side effects include headache, sexual problems and many more.[p]
Grinding Teeth?
Do you grind your teeth or clench your jaws? Perhaps you are struggling with bruxism, which is the medical term for the usually unconscious behavior of grinding teeth. Frustration, stress, tension, anxiety, and suppressed anger are usually considered the culprits of this difficulty. However, grinding teeth can also be attributed to some medications.
Stopping Medications: What Consumers Have to Say
Many people taking medications for bipolar disorder wish they could stop taking their meds. Stopping on your own, especially all at once, can have serious consequences. Stopping medications or changing dosage without a doctor's permission is called "noncompliance." So why do people stop and what happens when they stop? These articles will give you food for thought as you examine your own attitudes toward taking your medications.
What Are Mood Disorders?
Mood disorders include depressive disorders, bipolar disorder, and depression, mania/hypomania or mixed symptoms due to a medical condition or substance use. In the last case, the substance can be a medication, alcohol, street drugs or something similar. Here is a brief rundown of each category of mood disorders.
Thinning Hair or Hair Loss as a Bipolar Medication Side Effect
Several medications frequently prescribed for bipolar disorder can cause hair loss or thinning hair. This article lists several drugs that may cause hair loss or thinning hair, tells what happens to the hair, and discusses what can be done about hair loss (alopecia) or thinning hair due to side effects of medications.
FDA Issues Public Health Advisory for Antidepressants
On March 22, 2004, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a Public Health Advisory that provides further cautions to physicians, their patients, and families and caregivers of patients about the need to closely monitor both adults and children with depression, especially at the beginning of treatment, or when the doses are changed with either an increase or decrease in the dose.
Celebrities with Bipolar Disorder - A & B
Found here is the A and B portion of a registry of celebrities who have bipolar disorder (manic depression). In 1993, Joy Ikelman began compiling this list “to provide inspiration for those who have bipolar disorder” and has now passed the torch to the About Bipolar Disorder Guides. The compilation includes both living and deceased celebrities. This registry is a work in progress.
Warning Signs of Mania
Mania is a hallmark symptom of bipolar disorder. Or to be more precise, mania is a cluster of symptoms that are associated with one aspect of bipolar disorder. An episode of mania can quickly spiral out of control causing a great deal of disruption and mayhem for the individual and their loved ones. So it is important to be familiar with the warning signs of mania.
Tricyclic Antidepressants - Medication Family Profile
Tricyclic antidepressants include Amitriptyline (brand names Elavil, Endep and others), Nortriptyline (brand names Pamelor and Aventyl) and several others. This article covers how tricyclic antidepressants work, allergies, pregnancy and breast-feeding, side effects common to the medication family, and interactions with drugs and alcohol.
Mirtazapine Antidepressant Information
Mirtazapine is an antidepressant that is chemically unrelated to other antidepressants. Also sold under the brand name Remeron, the antidepressant mirtazapine operates by stimulating production of serotonin and norepinephrine. Since mirtazapine is different from other antidepressants, it has some different uses and warnings.
Mood Stabilizers for Bipolar Disorder
Mood stabilizers are one of the most important groups of medications for bipolar disorder. Mood stabilizers are medications primarily used for symptoms of mania and hypomania, but some have some antidepressant effects as well. This class of medications includes lithium and several drugs originally used for seizure disorders called anticonvulsants.