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Symptoms of a Manic Phase |
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Increased physical and mental activity
Heightened mood
Excessive irritability
Decreased need for sleep
Grandiose delusions
Racing speech
Impulsiveness
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Lab Tests
If your doctor puts you on lithium or other mood stabilizers, you need periodic blood tests to monitor blood levels of the medicine. Blood tests help the doctor know if your thyroid, kidneys, liver or heart are normal.
The range between an effective dose of lithium and a toxic one is narrow. Blood lithium levels are checked at the beginning of treatment to determine the best dosage. Once a person is stable and on a maintenance dosage, the lithium level should be checked every few months.
Because lithium may cause the thyroid gland to become underactive (hypothyroidism) or sometimes enlarged (goiter), thyroid function monitoring is necessary. To restore normal thyroid function, synthetic thyroid hormone may be used.
Rarely, valproic acid can cause liver problems. So liver function tests should be done before starting this medication and at frequent intervals after starting, particularly during the first six months of therapy.
In the Encyclopedia: Antipsychotic drugs
Antipsychotic drugs, atypical
Tardive dyskinesia
This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.
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