Bipolar Disorder Flashcards
What 5 types of medications/intervetions are used to treat an acute depressive episode in patients with bipolar disorder?
- “Antidepressants”
- Lithium
- Anticonvulsants
- Second generation antipsychotics
- ECT
What specific antidepressants are used to treat an acute depressive episode in patients with bipolar disorder? (1)
Fluoxetine (Prozac) + Olanzapine (Zyprexa) = combination drug called Symbyax
What specific anticonvulsants are used to treat an acute depressive episode in patients with bipolar disorder? (3)
- Lamotrigine (Lamictal)
- Lamotrigine (Lamictal) + Lithium
- Valproate (Depakote)
What specific second-generation antipsychotics are used to treat an acute depressive episode in patients with bipolar disorder? (4)
- Quetiapine (Seroquel)
- Lurasidone (Latuda)
- Cariprazine (Vraylar)
- Olanzapine (Zyprexa)
Are other antidepressants beyond the Symbyax combination medication used in treatment of acute bipolar disorder?
Antidepressants have a limited role as an adjunct treatment of acute bipolar depression. Use of antidepressants for acute and maintenance treatment of bipolar depression is controversial because of concerns the medications are not effective and may harm patients by causing switches from depression to mania as well as rapid cycling.
Discuss the evidence regarding the possible role of antidepressants in switching in patients with bipolar disorder.
Switching often occurs in bipolar disorder in the absence of antidepressant treatment. The natural switch rate is 41% (depression to mania, no antidepressants). Evidence is not completely clear that antidepressants as a class increase switching during acute or maintenance treatment.
- Increased rapid cycling when TCAs were introduced
- Mania rates over 2 years were highest with imipramine (vs. placebo vs. lithium)
- Antidepressants induce reversible rapid cycling in double-blind placebo-controlled studies
Randomized trials indicate that switching during the treatment of bipolar depression occurs more often with ___ or ___ compared with bupropion (Wellbutrin), SSRIs, or placebo, which have a switch rate of 3-5%.
TCAs (10-11% switch rate)
Venlafaxine (Effexor) - 12-15%
What are the most commonly prescribed medications for bipolar depression?
Antidepressants
Bupropion seems to have the least risk of switching
What historical information about patients may help determine if an antidepressant could be used for treating bipolar depression?
- History of responding favorably in the past
2. Has never taken antidepressants
What historical information about patients may help determine if an antidepressant should be avoided for treating bipolar depression?
- Previously experienced poor outcomes (switching, rapid cycling, suicidal ideation and behavior)
- Concurrent manic symptoms
- SUD
- Early age of onset for bipolar disorder
- Recent history (past 2-3 months) of mania or hypomania
Are there any predictors of a better response to antidepressants in bipolar depression?
Depressed patients with comorbid anxiety are less likely to respond to treatment than patients without anxiety.
Which anti-manic drugs should be used with an antidepressant so as to prevent switching?
- Lithium
- Valproate (Depakote)
- Carbamazpeine (Tegretol)
- Second generation antipsychotics - Olanzapine (Zyprexa), Quetiapine (Seroquel), Lurasidone (Latuda)
Switching to mania occurs less often when the aforementioned anti-manic drugs are used with an antidepressant. While it is unclear how long after remission of depression that antidepressants should be continued, in general, they are continued for ___ after remission, unless the patient has a history of what 4 things?
2-4 months
- Antideprssant associated switching to hypomania/mania
- Increases in mood cycle frequency
- History of frequent and/or severe manic episodes
- Concurrent course of rapid cycling
True or false - avoiding antidepressant monotherapy is consistent with practice guidelines.
True
Are antidepressants used in maintenance treatment of bipolar depression?
No - this does not appear to reduce the risk of depressive episodes
In treating a manic or hypomanic episode of bipolar disorder, what is the goal?
The goal is remission such that at most only 1-2 symptoms of mild intensity persist. Resolution of psychosis is required.
Patients with ___ symptoms of mania are at increased risk of relapse.
Subsyndromal
What is the difference between a severe acute manic episode and a moderate acute manic episode?
While there is no established criteria for what is a severe acute manic episode, a manic episode is considered severe if there is dangerousness (SI or behavior; HI or behavior; aggressive behavior; poor judgment that places the patient or others at imminent risk of being harmed) or psychotic features (hallucinations or delusions)
What drug classes are commonly used in the treatment of acute mania or hypomania?
- Lithium
- Anticonvulsants
- Antipsychotics
- Benzodiazpines
How are benzodiazepines used in the treatment of acute mania or hypomania?
Primarily as adjunctive treatments for insomnia, agitation, or anxiety
What is the general approach to treatment of a severe manic episode?
Combination therapy:
- Lithium + antipsychotic
- Valproate (Depakote) + antipsychotic
What is the general approach to treatment of a mild/moderate manic episode or hypomanic episode?
Monotherapy:
- Lithium
- Anticonvulsants
- Antipsychotics
How long does a medication regimen need to be given to tell if it is working for treatment of a manic or hypomanic episode?
While there is no formally established timeline, you generally need to allow for 2 weeks. Most research studies and randomized trials last 3 weeks and the superior efficacy of the medication compared with placebo generally begins to be seen within the first week
What are predictors of a good response to medication in the treatment of bipolar disorder?
Clinical features that consistently predict a good response have not been identified.
Some studies show mixed features predict a poorer response, but other studies did not replicate this finding.
If a medication works for a patient but the patient stops the medication and has a relapse, is the medication less likely to be effective?
The few studies that have looked at this question suggest this is not the case.
For bipolar patients who relapse often, what is the treatment recommendation?
Medication combinations for both acute and maintenance treatment
What is the first line medication treatment recommendation for a severe manic episode?
Lithium + antipsychotic
Valproate + antipsychotic
(Better than Lithium or valproate monotherapy, time to response is shorter)
List 5 antipsychotics recommended in the treatment of a severe manic episode.
Aripiprazole (Abilify) Haloperidol (Haldol) or other FGAs Olanzapine (Zyprexa) Quetiapine (Seroquel) Risperidone (Risperdal)
Which antipsychotic is not recommended in treating a severe manic episode?
Ziprasidone (Geodon)
List 6 anticonvulsants NOT recommended for treating mania.
Carbamazepine (Tegretol) Lamotrigine (Lamictal) Gabapenin (Neurontin) Topiramate (Topamax) Tiagabine (Gabatril) Oxcarbamazepine (Trileptal)
How is Lithium or Valproate (Depakote) + which antipsychotic to be used chosen?
No head-to-head trials have compared antipsychotics in combination with lithium or valproate. Thus, the choice between lithium and valproate, and the choice of which antipsychotic is based on other factors, including - past response to medications, side effect profiles, comorbid medical conditions, potential for drug-drug interactions, drug preparation, patient preference, cost
Lithium often used for classic manic euphoria and Depakote for mixed features (dysphoric/irritable); also Depakote is often used for patients with comorbid substance use
What is done for treatment resistant patients with severe manic episodes?
A severe manic episode that does not respond to one medication combination should then be treated with a second medication combination. Generally, Lithium is switched to Valproate, or vice versa.
For patients who do not respond to either, it is suggested to do a trial of a third medication combination but with a different antipsychotic. The choice between Lithium and Valproate is based on clinical judgment of the efficacy and tolerability of the prior two trials.
Define treatment refractory patients with severe manic episodes.
Patients who do not respond to 4-6 medication combinations
What is done for treatment refractory patients with severe manic episodes?
ECT
Lithium or Valproate + Clozapine (Clozaril)
What is the first line medication treatment recommendation for hypomania and mild to moderate manic episodes?
Monotherapy
Reasonable choices include:
Aripirazole (Abilify), Asenapine (Saphris), Cariprazine (Vraylar), Haloperidol (Haldol) Olanzapine (Zyprexa), Paliperidone (Invega), Quetiapine (Seroquel), Risperidone (Risperdal), Ziprasidone (Geodon)
Carbamazepine (Tegretol), Lithium, Valproate (Depakote)
Based on studies that looked at overall efficacy and frequency of treatment discontinuation for any reason, it is reasonable to first start monotherapy treatment with ___ or ___ when treating a hypomanic or mild to moderate mania.
Risperidone; Olanzapine
Other factors in addition to the efficacy and frequency of treatment discontinuation for any reason that may be considered and lead to a recommended medication include…
Patient's past response to medications Past response of patient family members with bipolar disorder to medications Specific symptoms Adverse drug effects Comorbid medical ilnlnesses Concurrent medications (risk of drug-drug interactions) Cost Maintenance therapy consideratoins
Since all patients with bipolar disorder should receive maintenance therapy, long-term implications of treatment from maintenance therapy also needs to be considered. Discuss the considerations of lithium vs. haloperidol.
Lithium - widely studied, efficacious, may reduce risk of suicide attempts
Haloperidol - generally not used for maintenance treatment due to risk of movement disorders and increased risk of bipolar depression
What is done for treatment resistant patients with hypomania or mild to mdoerate mania?
If the patient’s manic episode does not respond to the monotherapy trial within 2 weeks of reaching the target dose or if the patient does not tolerate the medication, then the medication should be tapered and discontinued. A second monotherapy medication trial should be started in conjunction with the tapering and discontinuation of the first medication.
If a patient has not responded to 3-5 monotherapy trials, the next step would be a trial of Lithium + antipsychotic or Valproate + antispsychotic
What is the first line maintenance treatment of bipolar disorder?
Usually the same medication regimen that successfully treated the acute hypomanic or manic episode