Bipolar I Disorder Discussion
The psychological disorder is bipolar I disorder. This disorder is characterized by a cyclic pattern of manic episodes and depressive episodes. The manic episode is characterized by high energy, irritable, or elevated mood, as well as an abnormal behavior that interrupts normal functioning (McCormick et al., 2015). The mania symptoms often lead to serious functional impairment and often require hospitalization due to the psychotic symptoms.Bipolar I Disorder Discussion
Lithium was the selected pharmacological choice. Lithium is a mood stabilizer that has been demonstrated to be effective in the treatment of manic and depressive episodes and also reduces the recurrence of mood episodes and reduces the risk of suicidal behaviors. Lithium acts in the central nervous system and helps to strengthen the nerve cell connections in brain areas responsible for regulating thinking, mood, and behavior (Volkmann et al., 2020). Additionally, lithium improves neuroprotection and thus helps to slow or stop the progression of neuronal loss associated with bipolar disorder.
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However, high doses of lithium are required to ensure the efficacy of the mediation. High doses can lead to lithium toxicity. Additionally, lithium is associated with side effects such as diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, tremor, muscle weakness, blurred vision, frequent thirst, and frequent urination (Volkmann et al., 2020). Such symptoms may lead to reduced adherence for the patients. An example is a client in the case study who was not adhering to the treatment regimen due to symptoms like diarrhea and nausea. Due to the toxicity associated with lithium, it is appropriate to monitor the levels of lithium in the patient’s blood. Due to the pharmacokinetics of lithium, the medication should be administered at the maximum effective dose and when patients experience the side effects it is appropriate to change to extended-release preparation of lithium to ensure few side effects, improved convenience, and improved adherence (Volkmann et al., 2020).
References
McCormick, U., Murray, B., & McNew, B. (2015). Diagnosis and treatment of patients with bipolar disorder: A review for advanced practice nurses. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 27(9), 530–542. https://doi.org/10.1002/2327-6924.12275.
Volkmann, C., Bschor, T., & Köhler, S. (2020). Lithium Treatment Over the Lifespan in Bipolar Disorders. Frontiers in psychiatry, 11, 377. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00377.Bipolar I Disorder Discussion