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Bipolar disorder is a lifelong medical illness. It isn’t a character flaw or a sign of weakness. Like people with other medical illnesses, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, who take medicine long term, people with bipolar disorder should take medicine long term to keep their moods stable and keep the illness from getting worse.
Contact your doctor if you have any concerns about your medicine or treatment for bipolar disorder.
Don’t be discouraged if you don’t see results immediately
Medicines may not make people feel better right away. They often take time to work completely. Sometimes a medicine must be started at a lower dose and increased over time to work well.
Medicines can sometimes cause side effects. In some people, the benefits may outweigh the side effects. In others, the side effects may outweigh the benefits. In that case, the doctor may either reduce the dose or prescribe another medicine. Many side effects are known to go away once the body gets used to the medicine.
Reasons why you shouldn’t stop taking your bipolar disorder medicine
This chart gives some common reasons why some people with bipolar disorder stop taking their medicine—and the reasons why they shouldn’t.
| Reasons commonly given for stopping medications |
Reasons to keep taking medicines |
| I don’t like the idea of taking medicine for the rest of my life. |
Bipolar disorder may produce symptoms that last, change, or even worsen over a lifetime. With proper treatment, you can manage bipolar disorder well. |
| I feel better. There’s nothing wrong with me any more. |
Bipolar disorder may affect judgment. You could be experiencing symptoms of a mood episode.
Feeling better may just mean that the medicine is working.
Going off bipolar disorder medicine or changing it without talking with your doctor can cause symptoms to return and get worse.
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| I’m getting side effects that make me feel physically or emotionally uncomfortable. I’m gaining weight. I feel sleepy. |
The symptoms you have may be short term.
Going off bipolar disorder medicine or changing it without talking with a doctor can cause symptoms to return and get worse.
In some people, the benefits may outweigh the side effects. In others, the side effects may outweigh the benefits.
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| I don’t agree with my treatment. I don’t want to take this particular medicine. |
Going off bipolar disorder medicine or changing it without talking with a doctor can cause symptoms to return and get worse. |
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