Bipolar

Question 1

What is bipolar disorder

Answer 1

Characterised by extreme mood swings with two types of episodes:

• mania
• depression

Question 2

What drugs are used to treat acute episodes of mania and hypomania in bipolar?

Answer 2

Benzodiazepines:

Short-term only as risk of dependence

Antipsychotics:

• Quetiapine*
• Olanzapine*
• Risperidone*
• Asenapine* (mod-severe hypomania)

Question 3

What drugs are used for prophylaxis of bipolar disorders?

Answer 3

Lithium
Valproate
Olanzapine (if responsded in manic phase)
Carbamazepine (if unresponsive to other prophylactic drugs OR rapid-cycling manic-depressive disease)

Question 4

How many episodes per year need to be had in order for a patient to be diagnosed with rapid-cycling manic-depressive illness?

Answer 4

Four

Question 5

When discontinuing antipsychotics, the dose should gradually be reduced over?

Answer 5

4 weeks

Question 6

Which class of drugs should be avoided in patients with rapid-cycling bipolar, recent Hx of hypomania or with rapid mood fluctuations?

Answer 6

Anti-depressants