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Hi Historyteach,
My daughter was first put on Risperdal when she was first diagnosed bipolar. It is a med that was developed for schizophrenia, but has recently been approved for bipolar mania.
It helped her at first, then the psychiatrist put her on Seroquel and she has been on that in combo with Lithium now and the two meds are working wonderfully for her.
I do not know about Lamactil, but hopefully eddie will be along soon and can give you info on that.
Here is info on Risperdal:
Now approved for bipolar mania
RISPERDAL® (risperidone) is a prescription medication that has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment of bipolar I disorder or to treat acute to manic or mixed episodes associated with bipolar I disorder. It is approved for use as therapy alone or in combination with drugs called mood stabilizers, such as lithium or valproate.
Although RISPERDAL has recently been approved for treating bipolar mania, it's reassuring to know that RISPERDAL has been around for more than 10 years and is used worldwide.
How does RISPERDAL work?
Symptoms of bipolar mania are thought to be caused by chemical imbalances in the brain. These chemicals are called dopamine and serotonin. Exactly how RISPERDAL works is unknown. However, it seems to readjust the balance of dopamine and serotonin. While it's not a cure, RISPERDAL may help control your symptoms so it may help you reconnect with your life.
When does RISPERDAL start working?
For some people, RISPERDAL can start working as soon as the third day. However, it will take several weeks to get the full benefit of your medication. So please be patient and give RISPERDAL a chance to take effect.
How long do I need to take RISPERDAL?
Keep on taking RISPERDAL every day as prescribed by your healthcare professional.
What about improvement of symptoms?
In a clinical trial, almost twice as many people who took RISPERDAL and a mood stabilizer (depakote or lithium) had symptom improvement compared to people who took a placebo (sugar pill) and a mood stabilizer. Two different scales confirmed this improvement in the clinical trial.
Wolfstarr
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