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Bipolar Drugs Database;     [ updated 11/23/06]                                       
Information on medications
used treat bipolar; Lamictal, Depakote, Tegretol, Seroquel, Lithium, approved for use in the United States arranged alphabetically by brand name.                   

Bipolar Drug Database

Bipolar illness is common psychological mood disorder.  You can think of a person with bipolar illness swinging on a "mood pendulum"

You should think of mood stabilizers as medicines that stop the pendulum from swinging or at least stabilize it's movement to keep it away from extremes.

An unmedicated person with bipolar can experience periods of depression that cycle into periods of hypomania.  The goal of bipolar drug therapy is to stabilize the patient's mood avoiding depression and avoiding hypomania.

Hypomania is actually considered to be more destructive than depression in terms of causing disorder in a person's life.  A person in a hypomanic state is likely to do risky things such as driving at extreme high speeds, experience sexual urgencies (they often cheat on their spouses) take illegal drugs and alcohol, and spend money in a uncontrolled lavish manner.  In extreme cases, a persons in a hypomanic state have been known to commit crimes such as vandalism or bank robberies.

A person with bipolar illness should not take antidepressants without also taking a mood stabilizer because antidepressant-only therapy can launch or exacerbate a hypomanic state in these patients.


Since we already have a comprehensive antidepressant drug information database, we are using this page to focus on mood stabilizers.



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SSRI's: General 

Lexapro
(escitalopram HBr: Drug Family SSRI - Forest Laboratories)
Lexapro is a cleaner, improved version of Celexa.  Lexapro is moderately expensive.  It is indicated to treat depression and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).  Lexapro compares favorably to other antidepressants such as Zoloft or Effexor.

Lexapro is an interesting compound.  It is effective as the other SSRI's but it has a side effect profile equal to a sugar pill.  For this reason, Lexapro has caught on very fast. 

Most people start with 10mg per day, and the doctor can go up to 20mg per day as needed. It's also available as a 5mg tablet or a tasty peppermint flavored liquid for people who have a hard time swallowing a pill.

Lexapro costs about $2.15 per pill if you buy it from your local drug store.  If you shop around on the internet, you should be able to find a better price.  Click Here to comparison shop for Lexapro

There is no such thing as generic Lexapro, so if you see an advertisement for generic Lexapro, stay away from it.  This so-called generic Lexapro is a bootlegged copy made in some lab in Mexico or Cambodia or some other undeveloped country. 

If you can not afford Lexapro, ask your doctor to switch you to generic Celexa or citalopram.  Citalopram is similar to Lexapro but it is less expensive.Click Here To Comparison shop for generic Celexa (citalopram) 

Another inexpensive alternative to Lexapro is generic Prozac or generic Paxil.  These two products have very similar actions to Lexapro but they are much cheaper because they are generics.
Click Here To Comparison Shop for generic Paxil.
Click Here To Comparison Shop for generic Prozac.

Lexapro Drug Information Database:
Comparison Shop For Lexapro
Prescribing Information PDF File
Literature Search (National Library of Medicine Database)
Official Website: PI, Patient Info, Depression Information
General Information Patient Information, picture of Lexapro pill, etc.
Compare Prices

Luvox (fluvoxamine; Drug Family: SSRI - Solvay)
Luvox was the old brand name for fluvoxamine.  When Luvox went generic, people stopped buying brand name Luvox and switched over to generic fluvoxamine.

Fluvoxamine is useful in treating patients with obsessive symptoms.  Somehow, the fluvoxamine short circuits obsessive thought patterns, so a person can get these ideas out of their minds.

Fluvoxamine Drug Information Database
Prescribing Information
Literature Search (National Library of Medicine Database)
General Information Patient Information, picture of pill, etc.


Paxil (paroxetine)
Prescribing Information
Literature Search
General Information Patient Information, picture of pill, etc.
Compare Prices For Generic Paroxetine

* Paxil & Generic Paxil as little as 25 cents per pill!

Prozac, Prozac Weekly
(fluoxetine; Drug Family: SSRI - Lilly); generic available
Click Here to comparison shop for generic Prozac

Prozac, Prozac Weekly Information Database
Prescribing Information | Prescribing Information Source B; PDF File
Literature Search (National Library of Medicine Database)
Official Website;
General Information Patient Information, picture of pill, etc.
Prozac Comparison Shopping: In the US, the druggist buys generic Prozac for about 5 cents per pill.  They don't usually pass on the savings to their customers.  There is a lot of competition between sites that sell generic Prozac.  This competition drives down the prices.   
You can get your best price on Prozac and generic Prozac if you comparison shop. Click here to comparison shop for Prozac & Generic Prozac

* Lowest price in the United States allowed by law!

Zoloft (sertraline; Drug Family: SSRI - Pfizer)

Zoloft is the best selling antidepressant in the United Stated.  It has recently gone generic.  The generic name for Zoloft is "sertraline".  Sertraline is the same thing as Zoloft but it is cheaper.

Generic Zoloft has only been on the market for a few weeks.  It is still relatively expensive.  The price of sertraline will plummet after it has been on the market for 6 months - that will be some time about March or April.  After that, sertraline will cost pennies per pill.

Make sure that you take your Zoloft (sertraline) with food or milk.  If you take Zoloft on an empty stomach, you may get a wicked heartburn.

Zoloft has many uses besides being a remedy for depression.  Zoloft can be used to treat extreme shyness or post-traumatic distress syndrome. 

Click Here to comparison shop for Zoloft.  You should visit at least 3 web sites before you buy anything.  That's the beauty of the internet - comparison shopping is very easy and convenient.

Zoloft Drug Information Database:
Prescribing Information | Prescribing Information Source B
Official website; Prescribing Information; Depression Information
Literature Search (National Library of Medicine Database)
General Information Patient Information, picture of pill, etc.
Compare Prices  There is a lot of competition between sites that sell Zoloft because Zoloft is a popular expensive drug. 

* Lowest price for generic and brand name Zoloft in the United States allowed by law!

Tricyclics:

Amitriptyline; GENERIC (Drug Family: tricyclic - various manufacturers)

Back in the 1970's and 1980's, amitriptyline was a very popular drug.  In fact when it was introduced By Merck (as Elavil) amitriptyline was hailed as a breakthrough medicine. 

These days, amitriptyline (or any of the other tricyclic antidepressants) are not so popular.  They are associated with side effects such as weight gain, sleepiness and dry mouth. 

Another drawback to drugs like amitriptyline is that these drugs can be very dangerous when taken in an overdose.

For this reason, doctors usually prescribe the smallest number of pills possible -- they do not want a patient to commit suicide by taking an overdose of amitriptyline pills.

However, many doctors and patients are rediscovering amitriptyline because it is very effective and very cheap.  These days, amitriptyline is sometimes used to treat nerve pain associated with diabetes.
 
Amitriptyline Drug Information Database
Prescribing Information
Literature Search (National Library of Medicine Database)
General Information Patient Information, picture of pill, etc.
Compare Prices There is a lot of competition between sites that sell amitriptyline because it is a popular drug. 

Amitriptyline  very cheap to buy - the drugstore gets amitriptyline for pennies per pill. 

Even if they offer it to you at a very low price, they will still make lots of profit. Click Here to comparison shop for amitriptyline


Desipramine; GENERIC (Drug Family: tricyclic - various manufacturers)

Desipramine is very similar to amitriptyline.  It is unpopular for the same reasons that amitriptyline went out of fashion - side effects such as weight gain, dry mouth and drowsiness.

Desipramine drug information database
Prescribing Information 
Literature Search (National Library of Medicine Database)
General Information Patient Information, picture of pill, etc.
Compare Prices


Nortriptyline; GENERIC (Drug Family: tricyclic - various manufacturers)

Nortriptyline is very similar to amitriptyline.  It is unpopular for the same reasons that amitriptyline went out of fashion - side effects such as weight gain, dry mouth and drowsiness.

Nortriptyline Drug Information Database
Prescribing Information
Literature Search (National Library of Medicine Database)
General Information Patient Information, picture of pill, etc.
Compare Prices ( Source A) | Compare Price (Source B)

Misc:

Cymbalta (Duloxetine; Drug Family: SSNRI; serotonin and norepinephrine uptake inhibitor).

Cymbalta is a very interesting drug.  Cymbalta works to treat more than one condition.  It is useful in treating depression.  It is also effective in treating diabetic nerve pain. 

Like the other brand name antidepressants, Cymbalta is not cheap.  It will cost you about $3.00 per pill.

If you are on Cymbalta and you do not have insurance you should use the internet to comparison shop.

Cymbalta Drug Information Database
Prescribing information (26 page PDF file; give it time to load)
Prescribing Information (back up from RxList.com; computer friendly)
Cymbalta.com Official Website
Literature Search (National Library of Medicine Database)
General Information layman's monograph; a cross between the drugstore flyer and the full PI.
Cymbalta Approval Packet ( FDA ) Approval History and Related Documents; label information.
Cymbalta News - sorted by date; updated in real time; Google News


Effexor, Effexor XR

Effexor is a powerful antidepressant.  It works increasing  the presence of the brain messenger chemicals serotonin and norepinephrine.

You should start off taking Effexor with a small dose and build it up gradually.  If you start with too high a dose, you can get side effects such as nausea, sleeplessness and loss of appetite.  Fortunately these side effects subside with time. 

Effexor has recently gone generic - we are talking the tablets, not the time release capsules. 

The time-release version of Effexor (Effexor XR) is not yet generic.  The tablet price is coming down but the time-release version is still very expensive.

Wyeth is working on a new product that is similar to Effexor.  It is jokingly known as "son of Effexor".  It is called "desvenlafaxine".  Desvenlafaxineknown by the code-name "DVS-233".   

Effexor Drug Information Database:
(venlafaxine; Drug Family: serotonin and norepinephrine uptake inhibitor - Wyeth Laboratories)
Prescribing Information | Prescribing Info; PDF File; US Residents Only
Literature Search (National Library of Medicine Database)
Official Website; Prescribing Information; Depression Information
General Information Patient Information, picture of pill, etc.
Compare Prices ( Source A) | Compare Price (Source B)


Mirtazepine
(Drug Family: tetracyclic - Organon)

The brand name for mirtazepine is Remeron.  However, Remeron went generic and hardly anyone still uses the Remeron brand - everyone uses generic mirtazepine.

The major drawback to mirtazepine therapy is that it is associated with increased hunger and weight gain.  People on mirtazepine have been known to eat and eat without satisfying their hunger.

(A former colleague of mine was on mirtazepine and it caused him to eat like a horse; you could practically see sparks coming from his knife and fork; I had never seen anything like it).

Mirtazepine is also known to cause drowsiness.  For this reason it is typically administered at bedtime.

Mitrazepine Drug Information Database
Prescribing Information
Literature Search (National Library of Medicine Database)
General Information Patient Information, picture of pill, etc.
Compare Prices ( Source A) | Compare Price (Source B)


Nardil (phenelzine; Drug Family: MAOI - Parke-Davis)

Nardil is a very powerful drug with many dangerous side effects.  It should only be prescribed by a psychiatrist or some other expert. 

Mixing Nardil with certain other drugs or certain foods (such as black licorice or aged cheeses or alcoholic beverages plus many other foods) can cause a serious reaction or death.

Because of all the side effects associated with Nardil, this drug is usually used only as a last resort - when the other drugs have failed.

Nardil Drug Information Database
Prescribing Information
Literature Search (National Library of Medicine Database)
General Information Patient Information, picture of pill, etc.
Compare Prices ( Source A) | Compare Price (Source B)


Parnate (tranylcypromine; Drug Family: MAOI - SmithKline)

Parnate is a very powerful drug with many dangerous side effects.  It should only be prescribed by a psychiatrist or some other expert. 

Mixing Parnate with certain other drugs or certain foods (such as black licorice or aged cheeses, alcoholic beverages) can cause a serious reaction or death.

Because of all the side effects associated with Parnate, this drug is usually used only as a last resort - when the other drugs have failed.

Parnate Drug Information Database
Prescribing Information
Literature Search (National Library of Medicine Database)
General Information Patient Information, picture of pill, etc.
Compare Prices


Serzone (withdrawn from USA Market In June' 04)
(nefazodone; Drug Family: phenylpiperazine - Bristol-Myers Squibb)
Serzone is no longer available in ther USA.  Serzone was withdrawn due to safety concerns
Serzone.com official website; prescribing data, pictures of pills
Prescribing Information | Prescribing Information Source B
Literature Search (National Library of Medicine Database)
General Information Patient Information, picture of Serzone pill, etc.
Compare Prices ( Source A) | Compare Price (Source B)


Trazodone; GENERIC (Drug Family: triazolopyridine -  various manufacturers)
Prescribing Information
Literature Search (National Library of Medicine Database) 
General Information Patient Information, picture of pill, etc.
Compare Prices ( Source A) | Compare Prices (Source B)


Wellbutrin
Wellbutrin SR ( twice a day)
Wellbiutrin XL ( Once a day)
(bupropion; Drug Family: aminoketone - Glaxo)

Wellbutrin's claim to fame is that it is an effective antidepressant that has no sexual side effects unlike most other antidepressants.

However, one unusual side effect of Wellbutrin is that it can cause a person to sweat excessively in response to heat, nervousness or hot spicy foods like hot sauce or chili peppers.

This excessive sweating is not dangerous, just an inconvenience.  Sometimes when it is mildly warm a person on Wellbutrin will be sweating like crazy while nobody else in the room is sweating.

Another use for Wellbutrin is for smoking cessation.  For some reason, Wellbutrin removes the soothing effects cigarette smoking has for a tobacco user.

Wellbutrin Drug Information Database
Prescribing Information
Literature Search (National Library of Medicine Database)
General Information Patient Information, picture of pill, etc.
Wellbutrin XL. com;  Official Website; depression; prescribing information
Compare Prices (Source A)


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