ABSTRACT
Although lithium carbonate is the drug of first choice for treating mania, it is not effective in treating all people. Some are helped partially or not at all, and others have unacceptable side effects from lithium. The addition of one of the following three mood stabilizers has been helpful in getting lithium to be more effective: carbamazepine, clonazepam, and valproic acid. If lithium is not used to treat someone with bipolar disorder, generally one of the following three drugs would be used. These are actually classified as anticonvulsants, but they are known to be beneficial in treating mania. From the experiences of those at my 1992 support group, carbamazepine is used more often than valproic acid, and clonazepam is rarely used; but usages are changing. If you want to know more about carbamazepine and valproic acid, both the Lithium Information Center and the National Depressive and Manic-Depressive Association have excellent materials available on them (see Q-186 and Q-139 respectively for addresses). Furthermore, I recommend that you research these drugs, if you are taking them, and find out what the regular laboratory tests are for monitoring your health while taking these drugs.
