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Running head: ELABORATION ON BIPOLAR DISORDER

Elaboration on Bipolar Disorder

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ELABORATION ON BIPOLAR DISORDER
Drugs Used to Treat Bipolar Disorder and their Action at the Neurotransmitter

System

According to Geddes & Miklowitz (2015), the treatment of bipolar disorder depends on

the severity of the condition. This means that the drugs used for the depression and the high

condition, mania, are different. However, when these drugs are used, it does not mean that the

individual will be cured. Instead, the drugs will help the patient to keep their moods in balance

such that they can are able to carry on with their lives. In the treatment, doctors may choose to

use a combination of drugs depending on the patient’s condition. The doctors may require an

individual to continue taking the drugs even when they feel better.

One of the drugs that doctors often prescribe to bipolar disorder patients at the start is the

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). These drugs are proved safer and generally

result in less worrisome side effects when compared with other kinds of antidepressants. The

action of these drugs is thought to slow down the reuptake of moles of serotonin neurotransmitter

occurring in the neurons close to the synapses. As the uptake of serotonin is prevented,

molecules of serotonin are held in the synapses for a longer time than it should be and thus

getting a bigger chance of activating the neuron after the synapse. Also, since there are several

kinds of serotonin receptors, some drugs will work better in particular receptors when compared

with others. The common examples of SSRIs include paroxetine, fluoxetine, citalopram,

escitalopram, and sertraline. However, raising the serotonin amount in the brain of depressed

individuals does not mean that it is a must their depression levels improve. As a result, some

patients will require additional help by increasing the neurotransmitter levels, such as

norepinephrine. It has been the practice that those patients who don’t show any response to

SSRIs are treated using other antidepressants, which have an impact on mood controlling
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ELABORATION ON BIPOLAR DISORDER
neurotransmitters. Norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake inhibitors (NDRIs) is the type of

drugs that can be used when the SSRIs do not work. Tricyclic antidepressants are also used but

in rare cases due to the shortcomings, such as being toxic when taken in high amounts and

extreme side effects. Lastly, monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), which are enzymes that

break down all the antidepressants are also used as drugs for treating bipolar disorder. Their

action is the same as the other antidepressants allowing neurotransmitters to stay longer in the

synapses (Nemade & Dombeck, 2019).

Analysis and Description of the Agonist-Antagonist Activity of the Drugs and the

Receptor Types and Subtypes Involved in Bipolar Disorder

Studies have established that effectiveness in bipolar mania of haloperidol, which is

moderately a selective type of D2-antagonist, is an indication that one common mechanism of a

receptor may be the cause of the underlying effects depending on the type of the receptor.

Serotonin receptors, in particular, have implications on the antidepressant response. The relief

involving the depression mood in mixed situations has a likelihood of involving the effects of the

drug or even the interaction of more drugs, which accounts for the agonist-antagonist activity of

the drugs related to serotonin receptors. In addition, asenapine tends to show a unique magnitude

of action at the receptors with potential impacts when clinical doses are used. This evidence

shows us that the agonist-antagonist activity of different activities of drugs will depend on the

receptor types and subtypes which are involved in a person having bipolar disorder (Romano,

2020).

The Most Common Side Effects of the Drugs Used in Treatment of Bipolar Disorder
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ELABORATION ON BIPOLAR DISORDER
The side effects of these drugs used in treating bipolar disorder vary according to the

drugs used. The side effects common side effects of the drugs include nausea, dry mouth,

shaking, frequent urination, increased thirst, lowered thyroid activity, emotional numbness or a

dull feeling, loss of appetite, weight gain, kidney trouble, fatigue, and diarrhea. The side effects

may have adverse effects on the patient's adherence to treatment. However, doctors have to take

a lot of time to let the patients that some of the side effects are necessary as they show that the

medication they have gone through is working. However, in some extreme cases, doctors may

consider switching medications for their bipolar disorder patients to lower the adverse effects on

their metabolic processes. This may necessitate modification of lifestyles such as a change in

diets for the patients during the treatment period, thus allowing the doctors to notice real

improvements the individual as a result of using the drugs (Kemp, 2016).

Evaluation of the Risk-Benefits of Drug Use for Bipolar Disorder

Medication has proved to be an important component of treatment for any person with

any problems in their body. Similarly, the use of drugs in the treatment of mental disorders,

including bipolar disorder, has become beneficial. Therefore mood stabilizers, which are the

main drugs used in the treatment of bipolar disorder, are beneficial in that they can help in

preventing depressive or manic episodes occurring to the patient in the future. Also,

antidepressants help in reducing the overall intensity of bipolar disorder symptoms among those

diagnosed with the disorder. Lastly, drugs act as a complement to therapy, thus helping the

person to improve effectively. Despite all these benefits, drugs pose some risks to the person.

One of these risks is that the individual may develop adverse side effects of the drugs, which

may worsen the situation or create a different health problem. Also, some of the drugs used in
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ELABORATION ON BIPOLAR DISORDER
the treatment of bipolar disorder such as those containing lithium are toxic when taken in beyond

some levels (Huzar, 2019).

Geddes, J. R., & Miklowitz, D. J. (2015). Treatment of bipolar disorder. The Lancet, 381(9878),

1672–1682. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(13)60857-0

Huzar, T. (2019, May 20). Mood stabilizers for bipolar disorder: Effectiveness and risks.

Retrieved April 11, 2020, from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325214

Kemp, D. E. (2016). Managing the side effects associated with commonly used treatments for

bipolar depression. Journal of Affective Disorders, 169. doi: 10.1016/s0165-

0327(14)70007-2

Nemade, R., & Dombeck, M. (2019). Bipolar Disorder Treatment - Antidepressant Medications.

Retrieved April 11, 2020, from https://www.gracepointwellness.org/4-bipolar-

disorder/article/11217-bipolar-disorder-treatment-antidepressant-medications-

Romano, G. (2020, March 26). Neuronal Receptor Agonists and Antagonists. Retrieved April 10,

2020, from https://www.labome.com/method/Neuronal-Receptor-Agonists-and-

Antagonists.html