Once euthymia is achieved with a mood stabilizer how long should you continue treatment?
Bipolar disorder is a recurrent, sometimes chronic, mental disorder. Lifelong maintenance therapy with medications is recommended for patients with bipolar disorder, even after a single manic episode. Once an acute episode of depression or mania has remitted, attention should be shifted to preventative focus. This may mean that the same regimen that was used to address the acute mood episode is continued unchanged. Reduction in the doses or numbers of medications that were carried into maintenance treatment from the acute management phase may be reasonable for many patients. Each unique patient’s course of bipolar disorder as well as the effectiveness of each medication must be taken into consideration when developing an individualized strategy to try to prevent future relapse. Younger patients, those with a recent onset of bipolar disorder, and those without a brittle course may do well with reduction of medication burden for long term maintenance.
Related Questions
- If I sustain a loss on last day of the policy and continue treatment in abroad will the policy be extended to cover the loss? If yes, what will be the charges?
- Does treatment through pregnancy into the postpartum period prevent recurrence of a postpartum mood disorder?
- Once euthymia is achieved with a mood stabilizer how long should you continue treatment?
