Mood Stabilizers for Child and Teen Bipolar Disorder

Lithium

Side effects of lithium may include:

• Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
• Trembling.
• Increased thirst and increased need to urinate.
• Weight gain in the first few months of use.
• Drowsiness.
• A metallic taste in the mouth.
• Bed-wetting (enuresis).
• Acne.
• Abnormal kidney function.
• Abnormal function of the Reference thyroid Opens New Window or Reference parathyroid Opens New Window gland.
• Increased number of Reference white blood cells Opens New Window (not caused by an infection).

More serious side effects of lithium can include blacking out, slurred speech, and changes in heart rhythm or a heart block (problems with the heart's electrical signals that cause an abnormal heartbeat).

Divalproex

Divalproex can cause side effects such as nausea, trouble sleeping, or dizziness. Other, more serious side effects are rare but can occur and include liver function problems, Reference pancreatitis Opens New Window, or a severe allergic reaction. Call your doctor if your child is taking divalproex and experiences shaking, hair loss, drowsiness or weakness, a depressive episode or other psychiatric changes, or if your child complains of headache.

Carbamazepine

Side effects of carbamazepine can include dry mouth and throat, constipation, problems urinating, dizziness or drowsiness, nausea, vomiting, or loss of appetite. Rare but serious side effects include the risk of problems producing enough bone marrow, liver Reference inflammation Opens New Window, and, most seriously, Reference Stevens-Johnson syndrome Opens New Window, which causes sores on the mucous membranes of the mouth, nose, genitals, and eyelids and which can be fatal.

Lamotrigine

Lamotrigine was well tolerated in initial studies. Some side effects occurred, including headaches, sleepiness, weight gain, and minor skin rashes that developed when people stopped taking the medicine. Serious negative side effects were uncommon. Rare side effects can include dizziness, blurred vision, nausea and vomiting, liver function problems and, most seriously, Reference Stevens-Johnson syndrome Opens New Window.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning on anticonvulsants and the risk of suicide and suicidal thoughts. The FDA does not recommend that people stop using these medicines. Instead, people who take anticonvulsant medicine should be watched closely for Reference warning signs of suicide. People who take anticonvulsant medicine and who are worried about this side effect should talk to a doctor.

See Drug Reference for a full list of side effects. (Drug Reference is not available in all systems.)

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