For women with bipolar disorder, choosing whether to maintain or discontinue treatment with a mood stabilizer during pregnancy is challenging. This is a process which requires careful and thoughtful consideration, weighing the risk of adverse [...]
While we use lithium less commonly now than we have in the past, lithium is still one of the very best mood stabilizers we have. And with regard to its use during pregnancy, we have [...]
We have an abundance of articles which address the impact of psychotropic medications on pregnancy. Much less research, however, has focused on how pregnancy may affect how these medications work. Physiologic changes take place during [...]
While we use lithium less commonly now than we have in the past, lithium is still one of the very best mood stabilizers we have. And with regard to its reproductive safety, we have [...]
Numerous studies have demonstrated that women with histories of bipolar disorder are at high risk for postpartum illness. Because of this increased risk for relapse during the postpartum period, we typically recommend that women with [...]
Ms. C is a woman with a long history of bipolar disorder, dating back to her teen years. Because she experienced recurrent hypomania and mania every time she attempted to discontinue her treatment, she and [...]
Lithium is one of the most effective treatments for patients with bipolar disorder. Its use, however, is limited by its potential for serious long-term adverse events, including renal, thyroid, and parathyroid dysfunction. A recent study [...]
Multiple studies have demonstrated that the postpartum period is a time of increased vulnerability in women with bipolar disorder. However, because many of the commonly used mood stabilizers carry some teratogenic risk, many women elect [...]
We have an abundance of articles which address the impact of psychotropic medications on pregnancy. Much less research, however, has focused on how pregnancy may affect how these medications work. Physiologic changes take place during [...]
In studies of pregnant women with unipolar depression, it has been shown that untreated psychiatric illness in the mother may have a negative impact on pregnancy outcomes, influencing the length of gestation and birthweight. There is far less data on pregnancy outcomes in women with bipolar disorder. A recent Swedish study analyzes pregnancy outcomes in treated and untreated women with bipolar disorder and attempts to distinguish between the effects of medication versus the effects of untreated psychiatric illness in the mother.
