Antipsychotic
A class of medication used in bipolar for mania, and sometimes for maintenance or depression.
Antipsychotics are a class of medication used widely in bipolar disorder — despite the name, not only for psychosis. Several are first-line treatments for mania, some are used for bipolar depression, and some to help prevent the next episode.
They tend to settle acute mania faster than lithium or the anticonvulsants do, which matters when an episode is already under way.
Side effects vary far more by individual drug than by class. Some carry more weight gain and metabolic risk, which is why weight, blood sugar and cholesterol get checked over time; others bring more sedation, or movement effects that include tardive dyskinesia. That variation is why one drug not suiting you tells you little about how the next will work, and why the choice is made with your prescriber rather than from a list.
See also
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