Skip to main content

Main menu

  • Home
  • Articles
    • Current
    • Published Ahead of Print
    • Archive
    • Supplemental Issues
    • Collections - French
    • Collections - English
  • Info for
    • Authors & Reviewers
    • Submit a Manuscript
    • Advertisers
    • Careers & Locums
    • Subscribers
    • Permissions
  • About CFP
    • About CFP
    • About the CFPC
    • Editorial Advisory Board
    • Terms of Use
    • Contact Us
  • Feedback
    • Feedback
    • Rapid Responses
    • Most Read
    • Most Cited
    • Email Alerts
  • Blogs
    • Latest Blogs
    • Blog Guidelines
    • Directives pour les blogues
  • Mainpro+ Credits
    • About Mainpro+
    • Member Login
    • Instructions
  • Other Publications
    • http://www.cfpc.ca/Canadianfamilyphysician/
    • https://www.cfpc.ca/Login/
    • Careers and Locums

User menu

  • My alerts

Search

  • Advanced search
The College of Family Physicians of Canada
  • Other Publications
    • http://www.cfpc.ca/Canadianfamilyphysician/
    • https://www.cfpc.ca/Login/
    • Careers and Locums
  • My alerts
The College of Family Physicians of Canada

Advanced Search

  • Home
  • Articles
    • Current
    • Published Ahead of Print
    • Archive
    • Supplemental Issues
    • Collections - French
    • Collections - English
  • Info for
    • Authors & Reviewers
    • Submit a Manuscript
    • Advertisers
    • Careers & Locums
    • Subscribers
    • Permissions
  • About CFP
    • About CFP
    • About the CFPC
    • Editorial Advisory Board
    • Terms of Use
    • Contact Us
  • Feedback
    • Feedback
    • Rapid Responses
    • Most Read
    • Most Cited
    • Email Alerts
  • Blogs
    • Latest Blogs
    • Blog Guidelines
    • Directives pour les blogues
  • Mainpro+ Credits
    • About Mainpro+
    • Member Login
    • Instructions
  • RSS feeds
  • Follow cfp Template on Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Instagram
Abstract

Treating bipolar disorder. Evidence-based guidelines for family medicine.

Canadian Family Physician March 2004, 50 (3) 388-394;
Roger S McIntyre
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Deborah A Mancini
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Peter Lin
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
John Jordan
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • Article
  • eLetters
  • Info & Metrics
  • PDF
Loading
  1. Roger S McIntyre,
  2. Deborah A Mancini,
  3. Peter Lin and
  4. John Jordan

    Abstract

    OBJECTIVE To provide an evidence-based summary of medications commonly used for bipolar disorders and a practical approach to managing bipolar disorders in the office.

    QUALITY OF EVIDENCE Articles from 1990 to 2003 were selected from MEDLINE using the key words "bipolar disorder," "antiepileptics," "antipsychotics," "antidepressants," and "mood stabilizers." Good-quality evidence for many of these treatments comes from randomized trials. Lithium, divalproex, carbamazepine, lamotrigine, oxcarbazepine, and some novel antipsychotics all have level I evidence for treating various aspects of the disorder.

    MAIN MESSAGE Treatment of bipolar disorder involves three therapeutic domains: acute mania, acute depression, and maintenance. Lithium has been a mainstay of treatment for some time, but antiepileptic drugs like divalproex, carbamazepine, and lamotrigine, along with novel antipsychotic drugs like olanzapine, risperidone, and quetiapine, alone or in combination, are increasingly being used successfully to treat acute mania and to maintain mood stability.

    CONCLUSION Bipolar disorder is more common in family practice than previously believed. Drug treatments for this complex disorder have evolved rapidly over the past decade, radically changing its management. Treatment now tends to be very successful.

    PreviousNext
    Back to top

    In this issue

    Canadian Family Physician
    Vol. 50, Issue 3
    1 Mar 2004
    • Table of Contents
    • Index by author
    Download PDF
    Article Alerts
    Sign In to Email Alerts with your Email Address
    Email Article

    Thank you for your interest in spreading the word on The College of Family Physicians of Canada.

    NOTE: We only request your email address so that the person you are recommending the page to knows that you wanted them to see it, and that it is not junk mail. We do not capture any email address.

    Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
    Treating bipolar disorder. Evidence-based guidelines for family medicine.
    (Your Name) has sent you a message from The College of Family Physicians of Canada
    (Your Name) thought you would like to see the The College of Family Physicians of Canada web site.
    CAPTCHA
    This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
    Citation Tools
    Treating bipolar disorder. Evidence-based guidelines for family medicine.
    Roger S McIntyre, Deborah A Mancini, Peter Lin, John Jordan
    Canadian Family Physician Mar 2004, 50 (3) 388-394;

    Citation Manager Formats

    • BibTeX
    • Bookends
    • EasyBib
    • EndNote (tagged)
    • EndNote 8 (xml)
    • Medlars
    • Mendeley
    • Papers
    • RefWorks Tagged
    • Ref Manager
    • RIS
    • Zotero
    Respond to this article
    Share
    Treating bipolar disorder. Evidence-based guidelines for family medicine.
    Roger S McIntyre, Deborah A Mancini, Peter Lin, John Jordan
    Canadian Family Physician Mar 2004, 50 (3) 388-394;
    Twitter logo Facebook logo Mendeley logo
    • Tweet Widget
    • Facebook Like
    • Google Plus One

    Jump to section

    • Article
    • eLetters
    • Info & Metrics
    • PDF

    Related Articles

    • No related articles found.
    • PubMed
    • Google Scholar

    Cited By...

    • No citing articles found.
    • Google Scholar

    Similar Articles

    Navigate

    • Home
    • Current Issue
    • Archive
    • Collections - English
    • Collections - Française

    For Authors

    • Authors and Reviewers
    • Submit a Manuscript
    • Permissions
    • Terms of Use

    General Information

    • About CFP
    • About the CFPC
    • Advertisers
    • Careers & Locums
    • Editorial Advisory Board
    • Subscribers

    Journal Services

    • Email Alerts
    • Twitter
    • LinkedIn
    • Instagram
    • RSS Feeds

    Copyright © 2025 by The College of Family Physicians of Canada

    Powered by HighWire