What are the side effects of mood stabilizers?
Lithium can cause side effects such as:
• Restlessness
• Dry mouth
• Bloating or indigestion
• Acne
• Unusual discomfort to cold temperatures
• Joint or muscle pain
• Brittle nails or hair.
When taking lithium, your doctor should check the levels of lithium in your blood
regularly, and will monitor your kidney and thyroid function as well. Lithium treatment
may cause low thyroid levels in some people.29 Low thyroid function, called
hypothyroidism, has been associated with rapid cycling in some people with bipolar
disorder, especially women.
Because too much or too little thyroid hormone can lead to mood and energy
changes, it is important that your doctor check your thyroid levels carefully. You
may need to take thyroid medication, in addition to medications for bipolar disorder,
to keep thyroid levels balanced.
Common side effects of other mood stabilizing medications include:
• Drowsiness
• Dizziness
• Headache
• Diarrhea
• Constipation