Anticonvulsants are not only used for the treatment of epilepsy but are now used with increasing frequency for the treatment of mood disorders, such as bipolar disorder.  Recent studies have indicated that anticonvulsants may negatively affect bone mineral density, as well as increase fracture risk.  This seems to be especially common with the older anticonvulsants [...]

Bipolar disorder (types I and II) affect up to 5% of the population in the United States. As the onset of this condition typically occurs during or before the reproductive years, the management of bipolar disorder in women is often complicated by pregnancy. There are concerns regarding fetal exposure to medication, the impact of untreated [...]

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a combination oral contraceptive (OC) tablet called Natazia (Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals).  It is a bit different from other OC preparations in that it contains 4 progestin/estrogen dosing combinations during each 28-day cycle (instead of being monophasic or triphasic), and it contains estradiol valerate (instead of ethinyl [...]

After last week’s post, we received several comments regarding the use of mood stabilizers in breastfeeding women, specifically asking which is safer: lithium or lamotrigine. Based on the available data, it is difficult to say with certainty which is “safer”.  To date, there has been one report of an adverse event in a nursing infant [...]