Antidepressants May Not Help Fight Bipolar Disorder

Related Encyclopedia • Anxiety • Autism • Bipolar Disorder • Death and Grieving More... Related Healthscout Videos The Role of NARSAD Mental Health Research: Children vs. Adults Mental Health and Children: The Status of Research How much progress have we made in treatment? More... Related Animations • Bipolar Disorder Animation • Depression More... Related Drug Information • Adderal XR • Ambien • Avandia • Concerta More... Related News Articles • Music as Medicine • Trauma Patients Suffer Even 12 Months After Injury • Cancer Poses Challenges for Husbands' Frame of Mind • Give and Be Happy More...

Page:  << Prev | 1 | 2 | 3 | Next >>

The standard of care for bipolar disorder is treatment with a mood stabilizer such as lithium, valproate, carbamazepine or other medications that reduce mania.

Although antidepressants have never been approved to treat bipolar disorder, and although there is limited evidence as to their safety and efficacy, such medications are commonly prescribed in addition to a mood stabilizer.

However, many researchers worry that antidepressants may even trigger a manic episode in bipolar patients.

Text Continues Below

---

"This practice is extremely prevalent," Sachs said. "The investigators agreed that the number one priority was resolving this issue, because there are two competing expert recommendations: a stabilizer plus an antidepressant or a stabilizer alone. We asked the question, 'Would two be better than one?' "

This trial, a collaboration with the U.S. National Institutes of Mental Health, randomly assigned 336 individuals with bipolar disorder from "real world," clinical settings to take a mood stabilizer plus either an antidepressant (bupropion/Wellbutrin or paroxetine/Paxil) or a placebo.

After about 26 weeks, 23.5 percent of patients taking antidepressants had stayed well for at least eight weeks in a row vs. 27.3 percent of those taking a placebo. The difference was not statistically significant.

"In this study, we do not show a benefit nor a problem due to antidepressants," Sachs said. "We didn't show anything to gain. We also didn't show any harm, and there may well be individual patients who might respond to antidepressants and individual antidepressants that actually work better."

Also, about 10 percent of each group -- with or without antidepressants -- experienced the onset of mania.

Sachs was surprised by the finding. "I had firmly believed that antidepressants triggered mania," he said. "This is an important finding of the study. That's a real thing I have to take to heart."

Page:  << Prev | 1 | 2 | 3 | Next >>