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Bipolar Disorder/Antidepressant-induced mania

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Expert: - 6/4/2009


Question
I've been in treatment with a psychiatrist for bipolar I disorder for 6 years (onset: age 50).  I originally saw him for depression, was put on various SSRI's, and subsequently became hypomanic, manic and even rapid cycled.  Prior to taking antidepressants, I never experienced mood swings.  Does this mean I definitely have bipolar illness and must always take a mood stabilizer?  My husband claims the drugs "messed me up permanently" and that I'm not truly bipolar, so he doesn't support the continued psychiatric treatment.

Answer
Hi Beverly . . .

People who have undiagnosed bipolar disorder are vulnerable to the mood elevating effects of antidepressants. If people keep cycling after stopping antidepressants they do not have an antidepressant-induced manic episode, but rather they have true bipolar disorder. This is especially true when the individual has at least one relative with ANY sort of mood disorder.

Best regards . . .

Ivan
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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

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