Celexa and Bipolar Disorder: A Hope to Put Order Back Into Life

Most people have heard of or have known someone who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. This mental illness can have the sufferer experience mood swings that are either short lived or can be continual without a break. The mood swings can be accompanied by mania and depression and the severity of the disorder can be from mild to severe.

There are many treatments or mixtures of medications that can help the suffer cope with their illness. There has been a correlation of the medication Celexa and bipolar disorder treatment successes. The degree of success that Celexa also has to do with the type of bipolar disorder the patient has and how severe that type is.

Bipolar Disorder Types

There are two types of bipolar disorders. The first type, or raging bipolar disorder, has the symptom of mania. Mania is when the patient overreacts in an excessive manner sometimes to the point of violence. The mania can be mild or severe or can alternate without warning. The mania, which can be constant in raging bipolar disorder and can be accompanied by depression, can manifest itself at anytime and usually without warning.

The second type of bipolar disorder is called rapid cycling bipolar. This type will alternate the mania with severe depression that will make the patient appear totally out of control of their emotions. Emotions of sadness during a happy event or the opposite are usually seen in this type of bipolar disorder.

Celexa Succes With Bipolar 1

Bipolar type I has seen more success with the use of Celexa than the other type of bipolar disorder. The negative aspect of the drug is that it has to be taken with a mood stabilizer to be effective. Without the mood stabilizer the patient could swing into severe manic episodes that would cause the reverse effect of what it is trying to accomplish.

Once the mood stabilizer takes affect, usually between two and eight weeks, the Celexa will act with the mood stabilizer like a balance. The cycle of raging mood swings will be less occurring or will disappear all together. The anti-depressant qualities of Celexa regulate the serotonin in the brain that balances strong emotions. This coupled with the mood stabilizer can have a far reaching positive effect for the patient.

Knowing The Side Effects

As with every medication, Celexa for bipolar disorder has several side effects. Drowsiness and nausea are two of the common side effects and if these effects become severe a physician should be consulted. There may be more severe side effects though these may be less common. These may include joint and muscle pain, headache, heartburn. Again if the pain gets too much to bear, the patient should consult their doctor.

Dramatic but rarely seen side effects include vomiting, loss of weight, and a feeling of overall weakness. These side effects should be reported immediately so your doctor can take measures so that the treatment side effects do not override the benefits of the medication. There is still research being conducted about the overall effectiveness of Celexa and bipolar disorder, but to date the success rate has be extremely optimist.