
Bipolar disorder (or manic depression) is a mental illness characterized by depression, mania, and severe mood swings. Treatment may incorporate mood-stabilizer medications, antidepressants, and psychotherapy. Read more: Bipolar Disorder in Children, Teens, and Adults Article
Multimedia: Slideshows, Images & Quizzes
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What's Schizophrenia? Symptoms, Types, Causes, Treatment
What is the definition of schizophrenia? What is paranoid schizophrenia? Read about schizophrenia types and learn about...
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ADHD/ADD in Adults: Symptoms & Treatments in Pictures
Most people don't associate adults with the term ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) but it is a common disorder in...
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What Is Bipolar Disorder? Symptoms, Manic Episodes, Testing
Bipolar disorder (formerly "manic depression") causes extreme mood shifts and manic episodes. Learn about bipolar 1, bipolar 2,...
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Bipolar Disorder (Mania) Quiz
Who is at risk for developing bipolar disorder? Are you? Take this Bipolar Disorder Quiz to learn more about bipolar disorder, if...
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Depression Quiz: Signs & Symptoms
Many people do not recognize the symptoms and warning signs of depression and depressive disorders in children and adults. With...
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Happiness Quiz: Positive Attitude
Take the Happiness Quiz! Plenty of people live in pleasant, fulfilling satisfaction. Is it sex or money that factors into happier...

QUESTION
Another term that has been previously used for bipolar disorder is ___________________. See AnswerRelated Disease Conditions
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Drug Abuse and Addiction
Drug abuse and addiction is a chronic disease that causes drug-seeking behavior and drug use despite negative consequences to the user and those around him. Though the initial decision to use drugs is voluntary, changes in the brain caused by repeated drug abuse can affect a person's self-control and ability to make the right decisions and increase the urge to take drugs. Drug abuse and addiction are preventable.
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Cancer
Cancer is a disease caused by an abnormal growth of cells, also called malignancy. It is a group of 100 different diseases, and is not contagious. Cancer can be treated through chemotherapy, a treatment of drugs that destroy cancer cells.
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Genetic Diseases
The definition of a genetic disease is a disorder or condition caused by abnormalities in a person's genome. Some types of genetic inheritance include single inheritance, including cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia, Marfan syndrome, and hemochromatosis. Other types of genetic diseases include multifactorial inheritance. Still other types of genetic diseases include chromosome abnormalities (for example, Turner syndrome, and Klinefelter syndrome), and mitochondrial inheritance (for example, epilepsy and dementia).
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Stress
Stress is a normal part of life, but chronic or severe stress can be harmful to your health. Learn what happens in your body when you are stressed and how you can manage your response.
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What Are the Five Types of Insomnia?
The five types of insomnia are as follows: acute insomnia, chronic insomnia, onset insomnia, maintenance insomnia, and behavioral insomnia of childhood.
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Bipolar Depression
Second Source article from WebMD
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Bipolar II Disorder
Second Source article from WebMD
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Panic Attacks
Panic attacks are sudden feelings of terror that strike without warning. These episodes can occur at any time, even during sleep. A person experiencing a panic attack may believe that he or she is having a heart attack or that death is imminent. The fear and terror that a person experiences during a panic attack are not in proportion to the true situation and may be unrelated to what is happening around them. Most people with panic attacks experience several of the following symptoms: racing heartbeat, faintness, dizziness, numbness or tingling in the hands and fingers, chills, chest pains, difficulty breathing, and a feeling of loss or control. There are several treatments for panic attacks.
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Anxiety
Anxiety is a feeling of apprehension and fear characterized by symptoms such as trouble concentrating, headaches, sleep problems, and irritability. Anxiety disorders are serious medical illnesses that affect approximately 19 million American adults. Treatment for anxiety may incorporate medications and psychotherapy.
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Symptoms of 12 Serious Diseases and Health Problems
Learn how to recognize early warning signs and symptoms of serious diseases and health problems, for example, chronic cough, headache, chest pain, nausea, stool color or consistency changes, heartburn, skin moles, anxiety, nightmares, suicidal thoughts, hallucinations, delusions, lightheadedness, night sweats, eye problems, confusion, depression, severe pelvic or abdominal pain, unusual vaginal discharge, and nipple changes. The symptoms and signs of serious health problems can be caused by strokes, heart attacks, cancers, reproductive problems in females (for example, cancers, fibroids, endometriosis, ovarian cysts, and sexually transmitted diseases or STDs), breast problems (for example, breast cancer and non-cancer related diseases), lung diseases (for example, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD, lung cancer, emphysema, and asthma), stomach or digestive diseases (for example, cancers, gallbladder, liver, and pancreatic diseases, ulcerative colitis, or Crohn's disease), bladder problems (for example, urinary incontinence, and kidney infections), skin cancer, muscle and joint problems, emotional problems or mental illness (for example, postpartum depression, major depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), mania, and schizophrenia), and headache disorders (for example, migraines, or "the worst headache of your life), and eating disorders and weight problems (for example, anorexia or bulimia).
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Sleep Disorders
A number of vital tasks carried out during sleep help maintain good health and enable people to function at their best. Sleep needs vary from individual to individual and change throughout your life. The National Institutes of Health recommend about 7-9 hours of sleep each night for older, school-aged children, teens, and most average adults; 10-12 for preschool-aged children; and 16-18 hours for newborns. There are two stages of sleep: 1) REM sleep (rapid-eye movement), and 2) NREM sleep (non-rapid-eye movement).
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Depression
Depression is an illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts and affects the way a person eats and sleeps, the way one feels about oneself, and the way one thinks about things. The principal types of depression are major depression, dysthymia, and bipolar disease (also called manic-depressive disease).
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Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse
Alcoholism is a disease that includes alcohol craving and continued drinking despite repeated alcohol-related problems, such as losing a job or getting into trouble with the law. It can cause myriad health problems, including cirrhosis of the liver, birth defects, heart disease, stroke, psychological problems, and dementia. Counseling and a few medications can be effective for alcoholism treatment.
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Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a disabling brain disorder that may cause hallucinations and delusions and affect a person's ability to communicate and pay attention. Symptoms of psychosis appear in men in their late teens and early 20s and in women in their mid-20s to early 30s. With treatment involving the use of antipsychotic medications and psychosocial treatment, schizophrenia patients can lead rewarding and meaningful lives.
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Insomnia
Insomnia is the perception or complaint of inadequate or poor-quality sleep because of difficulty falling asleep; waking up frequently during the night with difficulty returning to sleep; waking up too early in the morning; or unrefreshing sleep. Secondary insomnia is the most common type of insomnia. Treatment for insomnia include lifestyle changes, cognitive behavioral therapy, and medication.
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Antisocial Personality Disorder
Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) has many symptoms, signs, and causes. Therapy is one treatment option for antisocial personality disorder. It is closely related to other personality disorders (PD), such as borderline personality disorder and narcissistic personality disorder.
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Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)
Borderline personality disorder is a serious mental illness characterized by pervasive instability in moods, interpersonal relationships, self-image, and behavior. This instability often disrupts family and work life, long-term planning, and the individual's sense of self-identity. Originally thought to be at the "borderline" of psychosis, people with borderline personality disorder (BPD) suffer from a disorder of emotion regulation.
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What Is ADHD in Children?
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) causes the following symptoms in children: excessive activity, problems concentrating, and difficulty controlling impulses. Stimulant medications are the most common medication used to treat ADHD.
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Adult ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)
About 2%-6% of adults have ADHD, a common behavioral problem. Symptoms include impulsivity, hyperactivity, and inattention. Treatment may involve ADHD education, attending a support group, skills training, and medication.
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Can You Be Bipolar and Schizophrenic?
Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder have similar symptoms, which can make them hard to diagnose. Sometimes people have both disorders, or they have a mix of symptoms from both conditions at the same time or close together, which is called schizoaffective disorder.
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Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder that causes a person to suffer repeated obsessions and compulsions. Symptoms include irresistible impulses despite a person's realization that the thoughts are irrational, excessive hand washing, skin picking, lock checking, or repeatedly rearranging items. People with OCD are more likely to develop trichotillomania, muscle or vocal tics, or an eating disorder. Treatment for OCD includes psychotherapy, behavioral therapy, and medication.
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Mental Health
Mental health is an optimal way of thinking, relating to others, and feeling. All of the diagnosable mental disorders fall under the umbrella of mental illness. Depression, anxiety, and substance-abuse disorders are common types of mental illness. Symptoms and signs of mental illness include irritability, moodiness, insomnia, headaches, and sadness. Treatment may involve psychotherapy and medication.
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Bipolar Disorder vs. Schizophrenia
Bipolar disorder and schizophrenia are mental illnesses that share some risk factors and treatments. Symptoms of bipolar disorder include mood changes and manic and depressive episodes. Symptoms of schizophrenia include unusual behavior, delusions, and hallucinations. Check out the center below for more medical references on mental illnesses, including multimedia (slideshows, images, and quizzes), related disease conditions, treatment and diagnosis, medications, and prevention or wellness.
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Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS or SEID)
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) or systemic exertion intolerance disease (SEID) is a debilitating and complex disorder characterized by profound fatigue that lasts 6 months or longer, is not improved by bed rest, and may be worsened by physical or mental activity.
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Psychotic Disorders
Psychotic disorders are a group of serious illnesses that affect the mind. Different types of psychotic disorders include schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, schizophreniform disorder, brief psychotic disorder, shared psychotic disorder, delusional disorder, substance-induced psychotic disorder, paraphrenia, and psychotic disorders due to medical conditions.
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Misophonia
Misophonia is defined as the hatred of sound. Symptoms of this condition include a negative emotional response to certain trigger sounds, such as slurping, snoring, yawning, or throat clearing. Other symptoms include distancing oneself from the trigger, and acting out at the sound's source. Treatment may involve medications, cognitive behavioral therapy, or tinnitus retraining therapy.
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What Exactly Does a Psychotherapist Do?
A psychotherapist or therapist is a trained professional who assists people with various mental health conditions such as stress, depression, anxiety, insomnia, addiction, bipolar disorder, negative behavior patterns, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and other debilitating feelings. Psychotherapy is also called talk therapy and can help treat challenges and symptoms associated with mental health and emotional conditions by helping a person understand their repressed feelings, hence equipping them to face new challenges both in the present and future.
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Suicide
Suicide is the process of intentionally ending one's own life. Approximately 1 million people worldwide commit suicide each year, and 10 million to 20 million attempt suicide annually.
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What Happens When Bipolar Meds Don't Work?
Many of the medications for bipolar disorder come with side effects. If you experience severe side effects, do not stop taking your medications. If you abruptly stop them, your symptoms may worsen. Your doctor can observe how you react to your medications.
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Depression in Children
Childhood depression can interfere with social activities, interests, schoolwork and family life. Symptoms and signs include anger, social withdrawal, vocal outbursts, fatigue, physical complaints, and thoughts of suicide. Treatment may involve psychotherapy and medication.
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Brief Psychotic Disorder
Brief psychotic disorder is a short-term mental illness that features psychotic symptoms. There are three forms of brief psychotic disorder. The first occurs shortly after a major stress, the second has no apparent trauma that triggers the illness, and the third is associated with postpartum onset. Symptoms include hallucinations, delusions, unusual behavior, disorientation, changes in eating and sleeping, and speech that doesn't make sense. Treatment typically involves medication and psychotherapy.
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Schizoaffective Disorder
Schizoaffective disorder is a mental illness that features schizophrenia and a mood disorder, either major depression or bipolar disorder. Symptoms include agitation, suicidal thoughts, little need for sleep, delusions, hallucinations, and poor motivation. Treatment may involve psychotherapy, medication, skills training, or hospitalization.
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Phobias
Phobias are unrelenting fears of activities (social phobias), situations (agoraphobia), and specific items (arachnophobia). There is thought to be a hereditary component to phobias, though there may be a cultural influence or they may be triggered by life events. Symptoms and signs of phobias include having a panic attack, shaking, breathing troubles, rapid heartbeat, and a strong desire to escape the situation. Treatment of phobias typically involves desensitization, cognitive behavioral therapy, and medications such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and beta-blockers.
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Is Bipolar 1 or 2 Worse?
What is the difference between bipolar 1 and 2? Which is worse? What are the different symptoms?
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Postpartum Depression
Postpartum depression is a form of depression that occurs within a year after delivery. It is thought that rapid hormone changes after childbirth may lead to depression. Symptoms of postpartum depression include crying a lot, headaches, chest pains, eating too little or too much, sleeping too little or too much, withdrawal from friends and family, and feeling irritable, sad, hopeless, worthless, guilty, and overwhelmed. Treatment typically involves talk therapy and medication.
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Can a Parent Cause Anxiety in a Child?
Parents who are stressed, anxious, harsh, fight, sarcastic, hostile or aversive may transmit or cause anxiety in their children.
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What Is Schizotypal Personality Disorder?
Schizotypal personality disorder is characterized by odd behaviors, feelings, perceptions, and ways of relating to others that interfere with one's ability to function. Medication and psychotherapy can help the sufferer to manage their symptoms.
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Can Major Depression Lead to Bipolar Disorder?
Depression and bipolar disorder are not the same despite sharing some symptoms. Major depression can't lead to bipolar disorder.
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Gambling Addiction
Compulsive gambling is a disorder that affects millions in the U.S. Symptoms and signs include a preoccupation with gambling, lying to family or loved ones to hide gambling, committing crimes to finance gambling, and risking importance relationships and employment due to gambling. Treatment may incorporate participation in Gamblers' Anonymous, psychotherapy, and medications like carbamazepine, topiramate, lithium, naltrexone, antidepressants, clomipramine, and fluvoxamine.
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What Is the Best Medication for Bipolar Disorder?
Mood stabilizers are typically considered the best medication for bipolar disorder. Learn about other bipolar medications and treatment options.
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Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
Seasonal affective disorder is a type of depression that tends to occur as the days grow shorter in the fall and winter. Symptoms of seasonal affective disorder include tiredness, fatigue, depression, irritability, body aches, poor sleep, and overeating.
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Mental Illness
Mental illness is any disease or condition affecting the brain that influence the way a person thinks, feels, behaves, and/or relates to others. Mental illness is caused by heredity, biology, psychological trauma and environmental stressors.
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What Is a Person with Bipolar Disorder Like?
Bipolar disorder is a serious mental illness characterized by changes in mood, energy, and the ability to function. People with bipolar disorder often display extreme, intense and disturbing emotional states known as mood episodes. Extreme happiness or excitement (mania) and melancholy (depression) are typical symptoms of mood episodes. People with bipolar disorder can also have normal moods sometimes.
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Is Schizoaffective Disorder Worse Than Bipolar?
Schizoaffective disorder is a condition on the schizophrenia spectrum, but it is not the same condition as schizophrenia. In general, people with schizoaffective disorder probably have more symptoms to manage than those with bipolar disorder, but this cannot be generalized to every person with these diagnoses.
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What Are the Differences Between Mania and Hypomania?
Mania is an episode of irritable or euphoric mood and heightened energy that typically lasts a week and severely affects the sufferer's ability to function. Hypomania is a lesser form of mania that is less debilitating for the sufferer. Symptoms of mania last for seven days and include racing speech, decreased sleep, impulsivity, and grandiose ideas. Hypomania symptoms last at least four days and include trouble focusing, restlessness, and excessive spending. Treatments for both may incorporate psychotherapy, medications, and lifestyle changes.
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What Triggers Bipolar Disorder?
Bipolar disorder is a mental condition that causes unusual and extreme shifts in mood. Bipolar disorder is also called manic-depressive illness or manic depression. The condition does not have any cure, but with appropriate medical treatment and psychological support, bipolar disorder symptoms can be controlled. There are three main types of bipolar disorder: Bipolar I, bipolar II and cyclothymic disorder.
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Can You Be Schizophrenic and Bipolar?
Doctors have a hard time diagnosing bipolar disorder or schizophrenia because some of their symptoms may be similar. Some people can have symptoms of both disorders. They have a condition called schizoaffective disorder.
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What Are the Early Warning Signs of Psychosis?
Early psychosis can go undetected in many individuals. Learn the signs of early psychosis, what causes it, how doctors diagnose it, and what you can do to treat it.
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What Is the Best Treatment for Bipolar Disorder?
While bipolar disorder cannot be cured, treatment aims to stabilize moods and untangle patients from the dramatic ups and downs of mania and depression through the use of medications and therapy.
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What Are Signs of Bipolar Disorder?
Bipolar disorder is characterized by shifts in moods that alternate between highs and lows, or manic episodes and depressive episodes.
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When Should You Tell Someone You Have a Mental Illness?
When you decide to discuss mental illness with anyone in your life, make a plan for what you want to say.
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What Are the Types of Bipolar Disorder?
Bipolar disorder (also called manic-depressive illness or manic depression) is a mental condition that causes unusual and extreme shifts in mood. It is characterized by periods of deep, profound, and prolonged depression that alternate with periods of an excessively elevated or irritable mood known as mania. Bipolar disorder does not have a cure but with appropriate medical and psychological intervention, patients can better manage their symptoms and live a more normal life.
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What Are the Signs of Bipolar Disorder?
Bipolar disorder is characterized by signs and symptoms of abrupt manic and depressive states. Check out the center below for more medical references on bipolar disorder, including multimedia (slideshows, images, and quizzes), related disease conditions, treatment and diagnosis, medications, and prevention or wellness.
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Is Bipolar Disorder Connected to Major Depression?
Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that leads to severe mood swings. If you have an identified condition of depression, it cannot "develop into" or "lead to" bipolar disorder.
Treatment & Diagnosis
- Poor Hygiene
- Fatigue, Tiredness, and Lethargy
- Vocal Outbursts
- Loss of Speech
- Self-Neglect
- Mood Swings
- Euphoria
- Altered Mental Status
- Hallucinations
- Unusual Behavior
- Difficulty Concentrating
- Lack of Facial Expressions
- Inattention
- Anxiety
- Distractibility
- Paranoia
- Delusions
- Disorganized Speech
- Hyperactivity
- Catatonia (Catatonic Behavior)
- Depression
- Mania
- Inability to Regulate Emotions
- Aggression
- Social Isolation
- Bipolar Disorder
- Apathy
- Suicide
- How to Choose a Doctor
- Doctor: Checklist to Take To Your Doctor's Appointment
- Doctor: Getting the Most from Your Doctor's Appointment
- Bipolar Disorder in Children and Teens
- Bipolar Disorder, Living With
Medications & Supplements
- Antidepressants (Depression Medications)
- escitalopram
- sertraline
- bupropion
- Citalopram
- Anxiolytics (for Anxiety) Drug Class Side Effects
- duloxetine
- quetiapine (Seroquel)
- fluoxetine
- venlafaxine
- ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba)
- aripiprazole (Abilify)
- paroxetine (Paxil, Pexeva)
- lithium (Lithobid)
- Phenothiazine Antipsychotics
- Medicines that Cause Depression
- risperidone, Risperdal; Risperdal Consta, Risperdal M-TAB
- olanzapine (Zyprexa, Zydis)
- topiramate
- valproic acid, divalproex, Depakote, Depakote Sprinkle, Depakote ER, Depakene, Depacon, Stavzor
- ziprasidone (Geodon)
- carbamazepine, Tegretol, Tegretol XR , Equetro, Carbatrol, Epitol, Teril
- lamotrigine, Lamictal, Lamictal CD, Lamictal ODT, Lamictal XR
- Side Effects of Seroquel (quetiapine)
- oxcarbazepine
- Depakote (valproic acid) Side Effects, Warnings, and Drug Interactions
- oxcarbazepine - oral, Trileptal
- Side Effects of Zyprexa (olanzapine)
- doxepin (Sinequan and Adapin are discontinued brand in the US; Silenor)
- lurasidone hydrochloride (Latuda)
- Side Effects of Risperdal (risperidone)
- paliperidone
- fluphenazine
- Side Effects of Geodon (ziprasidone)
- Symbyax (olanzapine and fluoxetine hydrochloride)
- trifluoperazine (Stelazine, discontinued)
- brexpiprazole (Rexulti)
- oxcarbazepine suspension - oral, Trileptal
- Side Effects of Latuda (lurasidone)
- asenapine (Saphris)
- divalproex sodium
- Side Effects of Lithobid (lithium)
Prevention & Wellness
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