What other medical treatments are used for bipolar disorder?

What other medical treatments are used for bipolar disorder?

Other treatment options your healthcare provider may consider for treating bipolar disorder include:

• Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT): This is a procedure in which a brief application of an electric current to your brain, through your scalp, induces a seizure. It’s most often used to treat people with severe depression. ECT is very safe and highly effective for medication-resistant depression or acute life-threatening mania. It’s the best treatment for mania in people who are pregnant. ECT is uses general anesthesia, so you’ll be asleep during the procedure and won’t feel any pain.
• Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS): This therapy involves a short electromagnetic coil that passes an electric current into your brain. Healthcare providers sometimes use it to treat medication-resistant depression. It’s an alternative to ECT. TMS isn’t painful and doesn’t require general anesthesia.
• Thyroid medications: These medications can sometimes act as mood stabilizers. Studies have shown positive results in reducing symptoms in people AFAB with hard-to-treat, rapid-cycling bipolar disorder.
• Ketamine treatment: Ketamine, an anesthetic, given at low doses through an IV, has been proven to provide short-term antidepressant and antisuicidal effects for people with bipolar disorder.
• Hospitalization: This is considered an emergency option in bipolar disorder care. It becomes necessary when someone is experiencing a severe depressive or manic episode and they’re an immediate threat to themselves or others.