Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder that causes extreme mood swings from depression to mania to hypomania. Anestimated 1% of the population— roughly 2.3 million people in the United States — are living with bipolar depression. Once known as manic depression or manic-depressive disorder, bipolar disorder can disrupt life, negatively affectrelationships, and impact your sense of self-worth. Periods of extreme lows (depression) and manic highs (mania) can last for a week or longer and cause radical shifts in your mental health with energy, mood, and behavior.Finding the rightbipolar disorder medicationto treat symptoms is essential if you want to get back to living a healthy life with rewarding relationships. Two commonly prescribed drugs used to treat bipolar disorder areLithiumandLamictal(lamotrigine).Lithium and Lamictal are each in different classes of drugs, so they don’t work in the same way to treatsymptoms of bipolar disorder. Which one works best for you will depend on numerous factors, including the severity of symptoms, co-existing conditions, other aspects of a treatment plan, and more.Learning more about Lamictal vs. Lithium will help you make an informed decision about how to treat bipolar disorder. Together with your doctor, you can find an effective medication that works for you.Psychiatry and prescriptions onlineGet an evaluation and prescription online from a licensed psychiatric provider to improve your well-being.Get started

Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder that causes extreme mood swings from depression to mania to hypomania. Anestimated 1% of the population— roughly 2.3 million people in the United States — are living with bipolar depression. Once known as manic depression or manic-depressive disorder, bipolar disorder can disrupt life, negatively affectrelationships, and impact your sense of self-worth. Periods of extreme lows (depression) and manic highs (mania) can last for a week or longer and cause radical shifts in your mental health with energy, mood, and behavior.

Finding the rightbipolar disorder medicationto treat symptoms is essential if you want to get back to living a healthy life with rewarding relationships. Two commonly prescribed drugs used to treat bipolar disorder areLithiumandLamictal(lamotrigine).

Lithium and Lamictal are each in different classes of drugs, so they don’t work in the same way to treatsymptoms of bipolar disorder. Which one works best for you will depend on numerous factors, including the severity of symptoms, co-existing conditions, other aspects of a treatment plan, and more.

Learning more about Lamictal vs. Lithium will help you make an informed decision about how to treat bipolar disorder. Together with your doctor, you can find an effective medication that works for you.

Psychiatry and prescriptions onlineGet an evaluation and prescription online from a licensed psychiatric provider to improve your well-being.Get started

Psychiatry and prescriptions onlineGet an evaluation and prescription online from a licensed psychiatric provider to improve your well-being.

Psychiatry and prescriptions online

Get an evaluation and prescription online from a licensed psychiatric provider to improve your well-being.

Understanding Lamictal vs Lithium

Lamictal and Lithium stand out as two commonly prescribed options to treat symptoms of bipolar disorder. Each has a unique mechanism of action and benefits, but how a drug works for one person might not be how it works for another. Exploring the differences between Lithium and Lamictal can help you discuss which one to try with your healthcare provider.

Lamictal

Someresearch suggeststhat Lamictal acts on serotonin reuptake, which can offer antidepressant effects. Lamictal is more effective in treating depressive symptoms of bipolar than it is in treating manic symptoms.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Lamictal to treat epilepsy as well as bipolar disorder.

Lamictal is more widely used to treat the depressive side of bipolar and might not be the best option for those with active hypomania or mania. A significant upside to Lamictal mood stabilizers is it’s well-tolerated.

Lithium

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)approved Lithiumto treat bipolar disorder symptoms, including acute manic and mixed episodes, as well as maintenance in people seven years and up.

Benefits of Lithium include the ability to reduce manic symptoms of bipolar disorder. Someresearch showsLithium might be the only drug that’s effective in preventing mood, depressive, and manic episodes. It’s also shown to reduce suicide risk in some people.

“Lamictal is one of the best-tolerated mood stabilizers with little weight gain and is often used for bipolar depression. Lithium is best for bipolar mania and specifically decreasing suicidal thoughts. Lithium is often underutilized because ofLithium’s side effectsthat include weight gain, tremors, and possible effects on the thyroid.”

Efficacy in Treating Bipolar Disorder

Gauging efficacy in treating bipolar disorder with Lamictal vs Lithium depends on what part of the condition you’re using medication for. In someresearch, both drugs were found to be superior to the placebo when assessing time to intervention for any mood episode, andstudiesconclude that both are effective monotherapy for bipolar II depression.

Considerations for Choosing Between the Two

Several factors can influence the decision to take Lamictal vs Lithium.

“A discussion with a medical professional will be helpful in choosing between Lamictal and Lithium. A patient’s medical history, severity of current symptoms, and availability to have bloodwork done (necessary for Lithium) are all considered in choosing the best mood stabilizer.”

Ratings

Lamictal has a slightly higher rating (76% of Lamictal usersvs65% of Lithium usersreport a positive experience).

Pre-existing health conditions

Lamictal has fewer known drug interactions (284 compared to Lithium’s 708), and there’s a striking difference with “major” interactions (9 with Lamictal vs 177 with Lithium).

Potential side effects and limitations

While not universal, Lithium cancause weight gainin some people.Clinical trialsshow weight gain is even less common when taking Lamictal. Both drugs can cause difficulty focusing or concentrating and impair judgment and clear thinking. Lamictal is a Category C drug, meaning risk if used while pregnant can’t be fully ruled out. Lithium is a Category D drug, which means there’s evidence of risk when pregnant.

Lifestyle considerations and medication adherence

Lithium blood testing

A unique aspect of Lithium treatment is the necessity for regular blood tests. These tests monitor Lithium levels in the blood to ensure they remain within a therapeutic range and check kidney and thyroid function, which Lithium can affect.

This requirement for ongoing monitoring can influence the choice between medications, considering the added commitment and potential health implications of long-term Lithium use.

Determine if Lamictal or Lithium Is Right for YouOnly you and your doctor can decide if Lamictal or Lithium is the better option to treat bipolar disorder. If you need help determining the right course of treatment, Talkspace has licensed psychiatrists who can prescribe Lamictal orLithium onlineif appropriate. Talkspace makes getting help for mental health simple, convenient, and affordable.Reach out today to connect with anonline psychiatristabout Lamictal and Lithium.

Determine if Lamictal or Lithium Is Right for You

Only you and your doctor can decide if Lamictal or Lithium is the better option to treat bipolar disorder. If you need help determining the right course of treatment, Talkspace has licensed psychiatrists who can prescribe Lamictal orLithium onlineif appropriate. Talkspace makes getting help for mental health simple, convenient, and affordable.

Reach out today to connect with anonline psychiatristabout Lamictal and Lithium.

Sources:

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