Mood Stabilizer Effectiveness

Say you experienced the same episode, once on a MS, once off a MS.
What would be different: The duration, the intensity, or both?

Thanks

From my experience, mood stabilisers can't 'immunise' from episodes, as I've still sometimes become ill while on one, usually because of being stressed out at the time. It tends to be a manic or mixed episode which then needs treatment with antipsychotics, and then sometimes I crash into depression afterwards, which can need a cocktail of drugs, including an antidepressant, to treat.

I'm sure many times being on a mood stabiliser has a protective quality against episodes, and might make the duration and intensity less. I just don't usually wait to find out, because I see my pdoc and have my meds changed, according to what type of episode I'm experiencing. Bearing in mind though, my episodes tend to be severe and I have what I presume is BPI (I've only ever been given the diagnosis of 'bipolar affective disorder', and I'm in the UK). All this is just my experience though, and I'd be interested to know what others think.

I see - Me as well. The episode comes from a trigger, not so cyclical.

Yes, the harder to climb, the harder the fall. I am on Lithium now, and it seems to be doing well. Not much to dull down anyway, aside from my moods, so it seems to work wonders. I do feel a bit more social and need less sleep recently though, and can attribute it to life situations.

Thanks for you response. I too am curious how this thread pans out, as i am only recently medicated.

Lithium stabilized my depression. It was the one mood stabilizer that helped me the most. Before being on it, I took lamictal and that didn't help. I took Latuda and that wasn't enough. But once I got on Lithium I was well.

So I do believe it helped stabilize me compared to not having it. Both would be affected for me, duration and intensity with a mood stabilizer. I would experience less depression and it wouldn't last as long.