Guide To The Side Effects Of Mood Stabilizers

Drowsiness

Drowsiness can occur alongside a great number of mood stabilizers. In addition, drinking alcohol with a mood stabilizer increases the side effects of both. Patients are more likely to experience dizziness, drowsiness, and nausea when combining alcohol and mood stabilizers than consuming either on their own. In most cases, the drowsiness wears off after the patient has taken the mood stabilizer for a few weeks or months. If the tiredness is impairing the patient's day-to-day function, they need to talk to their doctor about it. The mood stabilizer shouldn't be leaving patients feeling tired, weak, empty, or like they don't have enough energy to get through the day. Patients shouldn't feel like they have to nap in the middle of the day to function, or like they need to drink caffeine to get by. Caffeine can have a negative effect on bipolar disorder to begin with, so it's best to limit it. If patients are taking a new medication that might cause drowsiness, and they don't yet know how it affects them, they should be careful driving their car or doing other potentially dangerous activities.

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Dizziness

Dizziness can often accompany drowsiness and other issues with a lack of coordination, though it might also appear as a side effect by itself. Patients might experience sudden fits of dizziness without any apparent warning. It might be hard to balance, and they might hear a ringing in their ears and feel like they might faint. Patients might also feel like the world is tilting underneath them. Some individuals experience dizziness without any rhyme or reason, though others can detect patterns to it. For example, individuals might become dizzy if they stand up for too-long periods and become fatigued. They might also get suddenly dizzy if they rise from a sitting or laying-down position, which can sometimes cause their blood pressure to drop. A severe enough drop in blood pressure will keep your brain from getting enough oxygenated blood, which can cause them to blackout. If patients experience any dizzy spells severe enough to cause fainting, they should talk to their doctor about ways to adjust or change their medication.

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