Mood stabilizers are psychiatric medications used primarily for conditions like bipolar disorder, mania, and severe depression, with commonly prescribed drugs including lithium, carbamazepine, and sodium valproate. These drugs function by modulating neurotransmitter activity, but they can also cause various side effects, requiring careful monitoring of renal and blood functions. Immediate action is necessary in cases of severe toxicity, including fluid management and potential hemodialysis.

1. prepared by
Ms Anjali Samson
Nursing Tutor

2. Mood stabilisers are psychiatric drugs that are
licensed as part of the long-term treatment for:
 bipolar disorder (manic depression)
 mania and hypomania
 sometimes recurrent severe depression.
Some of the individual drugs we call mood
stabilisers are actually very different chemical
substances from each other. But health care
professionals often group them together,
because they can all help to stabilise your mood
if you experience mood swings between
extreme highs and lows.

3. Some commonly used mood
stabilizers are:
Lithium
Carbamazepine
Sodium Valproate

4.  Acute mania
 Prophylaxis for bipolar and unipolar mood
disorder
 Schizoaffective disorders
 Cyclothymia
 Impulsive and aggression
 psychosis with epilepsy
 schizoaffective disorders
 borderline personality disorder

5.  Cardiac, renal, thyroid or neurological
dysfunction.
 Presence of blood dyscrasias.
 During first trimester of pregnancy and
lactation.
 Severe dehydration
 Hypothyroidism
 History of seizures

6. Lithium :- 0.8-1.2mEq/L
Carbamazepine:- 600-
1800mg/oral in divided doses.
Sodium valporate:-
15mg/kg/day with max. Of
60mg/kg/day.

7.  Lithium: - Accelerates presynaptic reuptake
and destruction of catecholamine, like
norepinephrine. Inhibit the release of
catecholamine at the synapse. Decrease
postsynaptic serotonin receptor sensitivity
 Carbamazepine: - Its anticonvulsant action
may, however, be by decreasing synaptic
transmission in the CNS.
 Sodium valporate: - The drug act on gamma-
aminobutyric acid, inhibitory amino acid
neurotransmitter GABA receptor activation
serves to reduce neuronal excitability.

8.  Neurological- Tremors, motor hyperactivity,
muscular weakness, seizures, neurotoxicity
etc
 Renal- Polydipsia, polyuria, tubular
enlargement, nephritic syndrome.
 Cardiovascular- T-wave depression
 Gastrointestinal- Nausea, vomiting,
diarrhoea, abdominal pain
 Dermatological- Acne form eruptions,
popular eruptions and exacerbation of
psoriasis.

9.  Discontinue the drug immediately
 -Instruct the patient ingest fluids.
 -Assess serum lithium level, serum electrolyte
level, renal functions, ECG
 -Maintenance of fluid and electrolytes balance.
 -In case of severe lithium toxicity haemodialysis
initiated.
 -Advise patient to take the drugs immediately
after food to decrease GI irritation.
 -Advise regular follow up and periodic
examination of blood count, hepatic function
and thyroid function.

10.  What is the usual dose of lithium?
 What are the neurological conditions occurs
as a side effect of mood stabilizers?
 List out the common mood stabilizers drugs.
 What procedure can be done in case of severe
lithium toxicity?
 How sodium valporate work in the body
system explain through the MOA.