Bipolar Disorder News

For people with bipolar I disorder*, for whom long-term therapy is clinically indicated, both combination therapy with lithium plus valproate and lithium monotherapy are more likely to prevent relapse than is valproate monotherapy.

People with bipolar I disorder will do best over the long term with lithium treatment alone or a combination of lithium and valproate compared to valproate alone, new research suggests.

Patients with bipolar disorder have a reduced risk for relapse if given a combination of lithium and valproate than if given valproate alone, according to an industry-funded study released online in Lancet .

Regular CorePsych Blog readers already know that we don't like wrong medication turns.

Earlier this year we reported that the FDA had ordered 8 antiepileptic drugs used as mood stabilizers for bipolar disorder to carry a warning regarding thoughts of suicide .

Antiepileptic drugs are life-saving for those with seizure disorders and are also used to treat many other conditions, including mood disorders and nerve pain, the authors write as background information in the article.

Analyst Report ) once again! The company received US Food and Drug Administration approval for Seroquel XR as an add-on treatment to antidepressants in adults with Major Depressive Disorder .

A study coming out in tomorrowa s edition of Archives of General Psychiatry may prompt doctors and patients to reconsider the merits of using antiepileptic drugs to treat people with bipolar disorder.

However, these studies are biased toward patients with the most severe disorders, and the relation to sex and age has seldom been investigated.

Contrary to the FDA's assertions, antiepileptic drugs do not appear to be associated with increased risk for suicide attempts - at least among patients with bipolar disorder - the Archives of General Psychiatry reports.

Despite government warnings about an increased risk of suicidal thoughts and actions while taking antiepileptic drugs, these medications do not appear to be associated with increased risk of suicide attempts in individuals with bipolar disorder, and may have a possible protective effect, according to a report in the December issue of Archives of ...

In experimental models, it has also been shown to have neuroprotective and antiepileptogenic effects.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration last week notified health care professionals and patients about the increased risk of neural tube defects and other major birth defects, such as craniofacial defects and cardiovascular malformations, in babies exposed to valproate sodium and related products during pregnancy.

Your blog is a beacon for me. Thank you for being honest about yourself. Blog powered by TypePad Member since 07/2004 December 03, 2009 Today the FDAissued a warning for the drugs valproate sodium, valproic acid and divalproex sodium .

Information for Healthcare Professionals: Risk of Neural Tube Birth Defects following prenatal exposure to Valproate [December 3, 2009]: The FDA is reminding health care professionals about the increased risk of neural tube defects and other major birth defects, such as craniofacial defects and cardiovascular malformations, in babies exposed to ...

So stressed out you can't think straight? Well, it turns out that's not just a figure of speech.

There is quite a lot of research to support the idea that a family history of mental illness increases the risk of a mental illness also developing in a child.

Swinging from confident and manic to the depths of depression, bipolar patients are often misdiagnosed.

Exclusive savings on ADHD products and much, much more! Start saving today! My client has bipolar disorder.

Posted by Jill Harness in Medicine , Neatorama Only on November 28, 2009 at 1:14 pm Because you Neatorama readers are so smart, you might already know how sickle cell anemia makes someone resistant to malaria.