medication for depression and bipolar disorder
Lithium. The medication used most often to treat bipolar disorder is lithium. Lithium evens out mood swings in both directions â from mania to depression, and depression to mania â so it is used not just for manic attacks or flare-ups of the illness but also as an ongoing maintenance treatment for bipolar disorder.ithium evens out mood swings in both directions â from mania to depression, and depression to mania â so it is used not just for manic attacks or flare-ups of the illness but also as an ongoing maintenance treatment for bipolar disorder.
1 Whether you have bipolar I or II disorder, you'll typically need mood-stabilizing medication to control manic or hypomanic episodes. 2  Examples of mood stabilizers include lithium (Lithobid), valproic acid (Depakene), divalproex sodium (Depakote), carbamazepine (Tegretol, Equetro, others) and lamotrigine (Lamictal). The medication Symbyax combines the antidepressant fluoxetine and the antipsychotic olanzapine. 2  It works as a depression treatment and a mood stabilizer. 3  Symbyax is approved by the Food and Drug Administration specifically for the treatment of depressive episodes associated with bipolar I disorder.