Can bipolar mood swings be cured permanently with or without medication?

Question

I have a son who is doing his Ph.D. in the US. He is taking the mood stabilization drug sodium valporate prescribed by an Indian Doctor and continued by another Nepali, mental doctor. He is highly intelligent and can apply himself very intensely to anything, has a history of mild drug addiction and very vulnerable to addiction of any kind. I am here in Nepal and always worried about his mental frame. Right now he seems quite happy and stable, but a slightest disturbance can upset him. The doctor who was treating him here advised him to carry along the medicine for at least 6 months and consult a doctor and if you feel fine can quit the midicine. I would like to know what are the chances of relapse once he gets completely alright and quits the drug?

Answer 1

There is no cure for bi-polar disorder. This is something your son will have to deal with his whole life. Luckily, it seems he has found some meds that work for him and while he may always be upset more easily than others, he is clearly functioning very well.

Getting off meds for bi-polar patients is not an option. The medication is what gives them the chemical balance their bodies can not provide on it's own. However, often times a person starts feeling "better" for longer periods of time once they have meds that work and will often think they are "cured" and go off. More likely than not this will lead to a serious episode, one that can leave the patient severely depressed and angry, posing a threat to himself as well as others. Do not listen to the Dr. who says your son can stop using the meds. Your son should be working with a psychiatrist on a regular basis to moniter both his progress and his medication levels. That is the only one who should have a say, along with your son, on what to try or not try. If his Dr. is not a psyhciatrist, he needs to find one immediately...a primary care doctor does not have the scope of experience and information needed to effectively treat bi-polar.

Answer 2

The last time I had mood swings was about a year ago and then it was during a time while preparing for a church bake sale. Every morning when I got up I would start baking all day, home made yeast breads, cakes, brownies, cream puffs and quick breads. All total I must have baked 2 dozen quick breads, 5 dozen cream puffs, I can't remember how many brownies and about 2 dozen loaves of bread, both white and challah. I just couldn't stop, however this mood swing was strictly limited to a manic episode but no depression. I felt euphoric and happy that I was accomplishing so much. Also, my psychiatrist finally has me on what seems to be the perfect meds, Lamictal, Seroquel, and Prozac. God Bless, I am confident He is able to help with the mood swings. He only wants the very, very best for His children and will not let anything or anyone to harm you. gatita_63109

Answer 3

Previous posts are correct. Bi-polar disorder is a life long illness. The med he is on is specifically for the manic phase of bipolar disorder which is possibly why his Dr mentioned coming off of it. Yet, at some point the manic phase will return. It can return in weeks, months or years. It just depends on his cycle but mania will return again at some point. It will be harder to treat if he is not taking any medications at that time. Also, he may look into a anti-depressant for pre-mania phases. I would suggest that he see a MD in the US. If he is working on his PhD then he could see the MD at his University's health clinic. The university should also have counselor in case he has any questions.

Answer 4

Bipolar can never be cured, just managed with medication. the best moodstabiliser for bipolar is Lithium. sodium Valproate also helps but has many side effects. A combination of an antidepressant and a moodstabilser usually works best. At the moment, if people are having a hard time with Lithium, the best alternative is Lamotragine, like Epitec, Lamicton, Lamitor.
Your son should never stop his meds, and I think he needs to go and see a new
psyciatrist as soon as possible.

Answer 5

People with bipolar are never really cured- the medicines treat the symptoms, but even electric shock therapy and the new implant of electrical wave impulses has not been proven to "cure" bipolar disorder. As long as he is on his meds, he will seem stable, but only he will know what is really going on inside, it's a tough battle- I too am bipolar.

Answer 6

NO, But it does not have to be a bad thing. With proper help (a trick in itself),the condition will not prevent a person to have a wonderful life. In fact,with a seance of humor,the person can have a better life than most. The trick is to find the right meds and a REAL M.D. who really knows how to deal with the issue.Forget alright. Your son is alright.He is differnt than you. That is not BAD !

Answer 7

Everyone who has answered already is right--bipolars are never cured--we cope and we persevere, but medication and therapy are what keep us stable. In fact, the most dangerous thing that anyone can tell a bipolar or that they can tell themselves is that they can eventually go off their meds. It is the most common misconception about our disorder. Your son needs to be with a psychiatrist who understands the issue and knows how to treat it properly. You wouldn't have sent him to a chiropractor for a broken bone when he was a child, so why let him go to just anyone now?

Answer 8

Sometimes a person don't need meds but it takes lots of work to know what is needed to do this without meds. Then other times a person needs to stay on meds.

Answer 9

The doctor will help to decide. People should not go off these drugs suddenly. I think Annie's answer is the right one.

Answer 10

If he is truely bi-polar he may need medication for the rest of his life. He will need a mood stablizer . You might want to consider his meds like a diabetic taing their medication .