Treatment of choice of bipolar mood disorder -

Ans. is 'B' i.e., Lithium Bipolar mood disorders o Bipolar mood disorder or manic-depressive illness is a psychiatric illness characterized by shifts in mood from mania on one extreme to depression on the other hand. o When 4 or more episodes occur in one year, it is referred as rapid cycling. Treatment of bipolar disorder "Lithium carbonate is the mainstay of treatment in bipolar disorder, although sodium valproate and olanzapine are equally effictive in acute mania, as is iamotrigine in the depressed phase " - Harrison. Other drugs used in bipolar disorder o Carbamazepine - Used for acute mania as well as bipolar illness, o Valproate - Particularly useful for rapid cyclers. o Atypical antipsycho tics -Olanzapine, risperidone, aripiprazole or quetiapine with or without benzodiazepine is the treatment of choice for acute mania. o Lamotrigine - Useful in rapidcycling bipolar depression. o Topiramiate and Gapapentin have shown some prophylactic effect in bipolar disorder. Remember o DOC for prophylaxis in bipolar disorder -->>Lithium o DOC for acute mania - Olanzapine or other atypical antipsychotics with or without BZDs.