Watch for the Symptoms of Bipolar Depression

Watch for Bipolar Depression

In some people, taking an antidepressant may kick off an episode of hypomania, an expansive mood characterized by mild elation, talkativeness, increased productivity, and sometimes risky behaviors. Irritability is another feature. Hypomania has its seductive side, but the downside is that, in people who have bipolar disorder, it can progress to mania, an over-the-top "high" that can degenerate into destructive behaviors and sometimes hospitalization.

People with bipolar disorder cycle through bouts of depression and manic behaviors, interspersed with normal moods. The depressive phases occur more often, tend to last longer, and are experienced more negatively then the manic ones. Consequently, an individual with bipolar disorder may not seek help until depressive symptoms hold sway. As a result, she or he may be misdiagnosed as having classic depression and be inappropriately treated with antidepressants. Bipolar disorder requires a range of treatments, including mood-stabilizing drugs and therapy with a mental health professional. This is another reason why clinicians must keep close track of anyone for whom they've prescribed antidepressants, and likewise, why people taking these drugs should report any unusual symptoms or irritability.

Source: Harvard Women's Health Watch
June 2004

This Week's Bipolar News

Credit Card Consolidation Speeds Freedom from Debt from Bipolar Disorder
by David Oliver
There's no question that many people dealing with bipolar disorder have unfortunately developed a tremendous amount of debt.

A patient's view of bipolar
Minnesota Public Radio
After being diagnosed with the most severe form of bipolar disorder, Marya Hornbacher chronicles her journey to accepting and managing her mental life.

Mother's mental illness diagnosed a decade ago
Las Vegas Review-Journal
Sherri Love has a history of mental illness dating back more than a decade. The 47-year-old, on trial in District Court on charges she fatally stabbed her 7-year-old daughter, tried to kill herself multiple times and was diagnosed as bipolar, authorities said.

Click here for all Bipolar News.

Don't be a Victim of Pharmacy Errors

CNN Medical News published a story about a woman who was pregnant and filled a prescription for prenatal vitamins at her local Walgreens in St. Louis, Missouri.

Unfortunately, this woman miscarried within a few weeks of taking the drug. Later, she learned that instead of being given a prescription for her prenatal vitamins (Materna), she had instead been given Matulane, which is a chemotherapy drug used to treat Hodgkin's disease, according to a lawsuit filed this month in federal court.

According to the lawsuit, the drug (Matulane) is intended to interfere with cell growth and DNA development.

According to the National Patient Safety Foundation, each year in the United States there are 30 million dispensing errors out of 3 billion prescriptions which occur at outpatient pharmacies. Some errors are minor, and some patients catch them easily; however, other errors can be serious.

Click here to read the entire article.

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Watch for Bipolar Depression

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Don't be a Victim of Pharmacy Errors

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Watch for Bipolar Depression

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Don't be a Victim of Pharmacy Errors

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