Below are links to the MANY articles on this website about Mood Stabilizers.
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Mood stabilizers—General articles
How many days to wait before measuring the blood level of any medication
When to measure serum levels of mood stabilizers
Combination therapy (mood stabilizer plus antipsychotic) for acute mania?
A practical guide to the management of bipolar disorders with mixed features
Does gabapentin work for bipolar disorder?
Encourage pregnant women on an antiepileptic drug to enroll in these registries
Carbamazepine and Oxcarbazepine
Carbamazepine
Carbamazepine (Equetro®, Tegretol®-XR): Basic Information
Carbamazepine for neuropsychiatric symptoms in persons with dementia?
How should carbamazepine be discontinued?
What to do about contraception in women on carbamazepine or oxcarbazepine
HLA antigens and psychotropic drugs
Oxcarbazepine
Does oxcarbazepine (Trileptal®) work?
Advantages and Disadvantages of Trileptal® (oxcarbazepine) versus Tegretol® (carbamazepine)
How to start, titrate, and dose oxcarbazepine (Trileptal®)
Oxcarbazepine (Trileptal®): Plasma levels
What to do about contraception in women on carbamazepine or oxcarbazepine
Divalproex (or valproate or valproic acid)
How to prescribe divalproex
Also see: Mood stabilizers—General articles
Divalproex (Depakote®, Depakote ER®): Basic Information
Divalproex (Depakote®) or valproic acid (Depakene®) preparations
Divalproex (valproate) loading dose
What lab tests should we do in patients on divalproex (Depakote)?
All about when and how to order a FREE valproic acid level?
What is the optimal serum valproic acid (valproate) level?
Ketogenic diet and valproate
How to add valproate to lamotrigine
Efficacy of divalproex for different conditions
Does divalproex (valproate) work for bipolar depression?
Valproate for neuropsychiatric symptoms in dementia?
Side effects of divalproex
Valproate and hair loss (alopecia)
Valproate-induced pancreatitis
False-positive elevation of plasma ammonia
Valproate (Depakote®) and elevated serum ammonia level (hyperammonemia)
L-carnitine (levocarnitine; Carnitor®): Basic information
What to do if a patient develops thrombocytopenia during treatment with valproate
Drug interactions of divalproex
Lamotrigine
Lamotrigine—General articles
Lamotrigine (Lamictal®): Basic Information
Can lamotrigine monotherapy be used for maintenance treatment in bipolar I disorder?
Lamotrigine: No additional benefit at 400 mg per day?
Why don’t we routinely prescribe lamotrigine extended-release (Lamictal XR®)?
How to add valproate to lamotrigine
Tips on using lamotrigine for mood disorders: Interview with Dr. Nassir Ghaemi
Lamotrigine—How to start
How to start and titrate lamotrigine (Lamictal®)
Dermatological precautions when starting lamotrigine
Lamotrigine—How to restart
Restarting lamotrigine
If lamotrigine is missed for a few days
Restarting lamotrigine: how many days?
Restarting lamotrigine: A case study
Lamotrigine—Medication levels
Lamotrigine level and adverse effects
Timing of blood draw for a serum lamotrigine level
How many days to wait before checking a steady-state lamotrigine level
Lamotrigine—Skin rash
Dermatological precautions when starting lamotrigine
Is it a benign or dangerous skin rash?
How common are benign and serious rashes with lamotrigine?
Lamotrigine rechallenge after a skin rash?
Can “additive effects” increase the risk of Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS) with lamotrigine?
Lamotrigine—Side effects (other than skin rash)
Can lamotrigine levels predict adverse effects?
What to do about the risk of arrhythmias with lamotrigine
Can lamotrigine cause psychiatric side effects?
Can lamotrigine cause memory impairment?
Can lamotrigine cause bruising?
Is the use of lamotrigine during pregnancy safe?
Oral sores in a patient on lamotrigine
Lamotrigine—Drug interactions
5 Action Items about OCs and lamotrigine
Does lamotrigine decrease the effectiveness of oral contraceptives?
How to reduce lamotrigine when an inducer is stopped
Folic acid may counteract the benefit of lamotrigine
Can “additive effects” increase the risk of Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS) with lamotrigine?
Lithium
Lithium—Therapeutic use
Also see: Mood stabilizers—General articles
How to know who will respond better to lithium
Lithium: In how many doses per day?
“Simple and Practical” patient education about lithium
Is the extended-release preparation of lithium carbonate better?
Should we prescribe low-dose lithium?
What does this study tell us about the renal safety of immediate- versus prolonged-release lithium?
Lithium augmentation in major depressive disorder: How much?
Lithium augmentation in major depressive disorder: How long
Let’s not stop lithium abruptly or rapidly
If serum lithium levels vary unexpectedly, consider these possible causes
Should lithium be temporarily stopped before a colonoscopy?
How to manage lithium treatment before and after bariatric surgery
When and how to prescribe lithium citrate oral solution
What should we tell patients who ask about lithium orotate?
A patient with elevated WBC, absolute neutrophil, and platelet counts
Lithium—Side effects and their management
Lithium toxicity
Clinical tips for identifying lithium toxicity clinically
Lithium—Hyperparathyroidism
Lithium induced hyperparathyroidism
How to screen for lithium-induced hyperparathyroidism
Lithium-induced hyperparathyroidism: Management
How to calculate corrected serum calcium
Sensipar® (cinacalcet) Prescribing Information
Lithium—Hypothyroidism
An introduction to lithium-induced hypothyroidism
How common is lithium-induced hypothyroidism?
How should lithium-induced hypothyroidism be evaluated?
How should lithium-induced hypothyroidism be managed?
Lithium—Renal impairment
Lithium-induced renal impairment: Clinical recommendations
Case: Rising serum creatinine in a patient on lithium
Case: Elevated serum creatinine that remained stable for many years
Is the extended-release preparation of lithium carbonate better?
Which preparation of lithium is less likely to harm the kidneys?
Lithium-induced polyuria and diabetes insipidus
Lithium-induced polyuria and diabetes insipidus: Evaluation
Lithium-induced polyuria and diabetes insipidus: Treatment
24-hour urine for creatinine clearance
How to collect a 24-hour urine sample
Lithium—Skin/ hair-related side effects
All about lithium-induced hair loss
Acne is a potential side effect of lithium
Lithium and psoriasis
Lithium—Tremors
Lithium-induced benign tremor: Introduction
Lithium-induced benign tremor: Evaluation
Lithium-induced benign tremor: Treatment
Beta-blockers for lithium-induced benign tremor
Vitamin B6 for lithium-induced benign tremor?
Lithium—Miscellaneous
Lithium’s effects on the electrocardiogram (ECG, EKG)
Tips on using lithium for bipolar disorder during pregnancy
Lithium—Drug interactions
Topiramate
Warning! Topiramate can cause kidney stones
Ketogenic diet and topiramate
Can we use topiramate to treat medication-induced weight gain?
Think twice before adding topiramate to valproate
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