You are here:

Bipolar Disorder/bipolar and smoking marijuana

Advertisement

Expert: - 3/7/2009


Question
I have heard that there is a connection between teens that have a genetic predisposition to bipolar disorder having the disease triggered by smoking marijuana. Is there a connection?

Answer
Hi Amy

Those who carry a genetic predisposition toward developing bipolar disorder are very sensitive to the unfortunate psychiatric effects of marijuana. Marijuana use is likely to lead to the onset of an episode of mania or depression and when taken by an individual being trusted for bipolar disorder, marijuana use may make such treatment ineffective and lead to a worsening of the symptoms the individual experiences.

Lithium and the other medications used to treat people with bipolar disorder do not work well with marijuana (THC) in the blood.

Best regards . . .

Ivan
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Bipolar Disorder

All Answers

Answers by Expert:

Ask Experts

Volunteer

Ivan Goldberg, M.D.

Expertise

I am a psychiatrist/psychopharmacologist with many years of expereince in treating individuals with depressions, manic-depression (Bipolar Disorder), other mood disorders,. I am especially interested in the psychopharmacologic treatment of individuals with so called "treatment-resistant" syndromes.

Experience

I have been on the staff of the National Institute of Mental Health, Columbia's College of Physicians and Surgeons, and the Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center. I am currently in full-time private practice in New York City.

A.B. Johns Hopkins University
M.D. N.Y.U. College of Medicine

I am the creator of Depression Central:http://www.psycom.net/depression.central.html

©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.