Bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder: Introduction

Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive disorder, involves cycles of alternating mania and depressive symptoms. It is an under-diagnosed disorder with many cases misdiagnosed for years. Many cases of bipolar disorder are misdiagnosed as clinical depression because patients tend to seek treatment during the down phases, rather than the euphoric manic phases. Other possible misdiagnoses include anxiety disorders, borderline personality disorder, and schizophrenia. There are several subtypes of bipolar disorder, including the milder bipolar II disorder, that need to be carefully distinguished for accurate diagnosis.

Symptoms of Bipolar disorder

• Mood swings
• Cycles of symptoms
• Mania - and its symptoms:
  • Feeling on top of the world
  • Inappropriate elevated mood
• more symptoms...»

See full list of 57 symptoms of Bipolar disorder

Home Diagnostic Testing

Home medical testing related to Bipolar disorder:

• Child Behavior: Home Testing
  • ADHD -- Home Test Kits
  • Concentration -- Home Testing
• Mental Health (Adults): Home Testing
  • Adult ADHD -- Home Testing
  • Concentration -- Home Tests
• Mental Health: Home Testing:
  • Home Emotional Stress Tests
  • ADHD -- Home Testing
  • Concentration -- Home Test Kits
• Brain & Neurological Disorders: Related Home Testing:
  • ADHD -- Home Tests
  • Drug Screening Kits
• more tests...»

Bipolar disorder: Complications

Review possible medical complications related to Bipolar disorder:

• Depression
• Mania
• Psychosis
• Suicide
• Insomnia
• The most serious complication of rapid cycling bipolar disorder is suicide. People with bipolar disorder are 10 to 20 times more likely to commit suicide than people without bipolar disorder. Tragically, 8% to 20% of people with bipolar disorder eventually lose their lives to suicide
• more complications...»

Medical Textbooks Online about Bipolar disorder

Book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.

Wrongly Diagnosed with Bipolar disorder?

• Misdiagnosis of Bipolar disorder
• Failure to diagnose Bipolar disorder
• Hidden causes of Bipolar disorder (possibly wrongly diagnosed)
• Undiagnosed: Bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder: Self Assessment Tools

• Stroke -- Self Assessment Tools
• Stress -- Self Assessment Tools
• Depression -- Self Assessment Tools
• Weight Management -- Self Assessment Tools
• Mental Health -- Self Assessment Tools
• more tools...»

Bipolar disorder: Medical Mistakes

• Concentration -- Health Mistakes
• ADHD -- Health Mistakes
• ADHD (Adults) -- Health Mistakes
• Depression -- Health Mistakes
• Bipolar -- Health Mistakes
• Sleep Disorders -- Health Mistakes
• more mistakes...»

Bipolar disorder: Marketplace Products, Discounts & Offers

Products, offers and promotion categories available for Bipolar disorder:

• Stroke
• Brain
• more product offers...»

Bipolar disorder: Undiagnosed Conditions

Commonly undiagnosed diseases in related medical categories:

• Brain & Neurological Disorders: Undiagnosed:
  • Adult ADHD -- Undiagnosed - Often remains undiagnosed through to adulthood.
  • ADHD -- Undiagnosed
  • Alzheimer Disease -- Undiagnosed
  • Migraine -- Undiagnosed
  • Concentration Disorders -- Undiagnosed
  • Stroke -- Undiagnosed
  • Bipolar Disorder -- Undiagnosed
  • Schizophrenia -- Undiagnosed
  • Epilepsy -- Undiagnosed
• more undiagnosed conditions...»

Misdiagnosis and Bipolar disorder

Rare epilepsy can cause a variety of severe emotional and depressive symptoms: The book "Preventing Misdiagnosis of Women" reports on a case of a woman with severe personality and behavioral symptoms...read more »

Physical disorders often hidden causes of depression: It is a common misdiagnosis to diagnose a psychological or psychiatric disorder, such as depression, when symptoms are actually caused by an underlying physical disorder. Some of...read more »

Underactive thryoid may be misdiagnosed as depression: Hypothyroidism, or underactive thyroid, is an endocrine gland disorder that is more common in women....read more »

Cushing's disease can be mistaken for depression: Cushing's disease (or similarly Cushing's syndrome) is a possible misdiagnosis for a person diagnosed with ...read more »

Manic-depressive (bipolar) disorder often misdiagnosed: Bipolar disorder, also called manic-depressive disorder, is often misdiagnosed before...read more »

Calcium disorder a hidden cause of depression-like symptoms: Another uncommon endocrine disorder that can be misdiagnosed as depression is hypocalcemia (low blood calcium), which is usually due to a...read more »

Rare seizure-less epilepsy misdiagnosed as various conditions: A complex partial seizure disorder, such as temporal lobe epilepsy can be misdiagnosed as various conditions. Some of the possible misdiagnoses include ...read more »

Multiple sclerosis often misdiagnosed as mental disorder: The early stages of multiple sclerosis may cause various general feelings of wellness, happiness, euphoria, or manic-type symptoms in some...read more »

Lupus is often misdiagnosed as other conditions: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), often simply called "lupus", is a difficult disease to diagnose and can manifest with numerous symptoms. Some of the possible...read more »

Rare copper disease insidious and misdiagnosed: Wilson's disease (a form of copper overload) is a rare disorder that has a slow and insidious onset that can often fail to be diagnosed. Copper builds...read more »

Insidious cancer misdiagnosed as mental health condition: Pancreatic cancer is fortunately relatively rare, but this dangerous condition can be...read more »

Cluster of diseases with difficult diagnosis issues: There is a well-known list of medical conditions that are all somewhat difficult to diagnose, and all can present in a variety...read more »

Undiagnosed stroke leads to misdiagnosed aphasia: BBC News UK reported on a man who had been institutionalized and treated for mental illness...read more »

Alzheimer's disease over-diagnosed: The well-known disease of Alzheimer's disease is often over-diagnosed. Patients tend to assume that any memory loss or forgetulness symptom...read more »

Dementia may be a drug interaction: A common scenario in aged care is for a patient to show mental decline to dementia. Whereas this can, of course, occur due to various medical...read more »

Mild traumatic brain injury often remains undiagnosed: Although the symptoms of severe brain injury are hard to miss, it is less clear for milder injuries, or even those causing a mild concussion diagnosis. The condition...read more »

ADHD under-diagnosed in adults: Although the over-diagnoses of ADHD in children is a well-known controversy, the reverse side related to adults. Some adults can...read more »

MTBI misdiagnosed as balance problem: When a person has symptoms such as vertigo or dizziness, a diagnosis of brain injury may go overlooked. This is particularly true of mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI), for which...read more »

Bipolar disorder misdiagosed as various conditions by primary physicians: Bipolar disorder (manic-depressive disorder) often fails to be diagnosed correctly by primary care physicians. Many patients with...read more »

Eating disorders under-diagnosed in men: The typical patient with an eating disorder is female. The result is that men with eating disorders often fail to be...read more »

Depression undiagnosed in teenagers: Serious bouts of depression can be undiagnosed in teenagers. The "normal" moodiness of teenagers can cause severe medical depression to be...read more »

Brain pressure condition often misdiagnosed as dementia: A condition that results from an excessive pressure of CSF within the brain is often misdiagnosed. It may be misdiagnosed as Parkinson's disease or dementia (such as Alzheimer's...read more »

Post-concussive brain injury often misdiagnosed: A study found that soldiers who had suffered a concussive injury in battle often were misdiagnosed on their return. A...read more »

Children with migraine often misdiagnosed: A migraine often fails to be correctly diagnosed in pediatric patients. These patients are not the typical migraine sufferers,...read more »

Undiagnosed anxiety disorders related to depression: Patients with depression (see symptoms of depression) may also have undiagnosed anxiety disorders (see symptoms of anxiety disorders). Failure to diagnose these anxiety disorders may...read more »

Read more about Misdiagnosis and Bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder: Research Doctors & Specialists

Research related physicians and medical specialists:

• Mental Health Specialists:
  • Psychiatry (Mental Health)
  • Addiction Psychiatry
  • Geriatric Psychiatry (Seniors Mental Health)
  • Pediatric / Adolescent Psychiatry (Child/Teen Mental Health)
  • Pediatric Developmental Behavioral Health (Child Behavior Specialist)
  • Psychosomatic Medicine
  • Forensic Psychiatry
• Neurology (Brain/CNS Specialists):
  • Neurology (Brain/CNS Specialists)
  • Pediatric Neurology (Child Brain Specialist)
  • Pediatric Neurosurgery (Child Neurosurgeon)
  • Clinical Neurophysiology
  • Neurodevelopment Disabilities
  • Neurosurgery (Brain Surgery)
  • Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine (Nerve/Muscle/Bone Specialists)
  • Neuroradiology
  • Vascular Neurology
  • Neuropathology
  • Otology / Neurotology (Ear/Hearing Specialists)
• more specialists...»

Other doctor, physician and specialist research services:

• Rate Your Doctor Online
• Research Your Doctor Online
• Review Patient Surveys About Your Doctor
• Research local specialists including ratings, affiliations, and sanctions.

Hospitals & Clinics: Bipolar disorder

Research quality ratings and patient safety measures for medical facilities in specialties related to Bipolar disorder:

• Mental Health -- Hospital Quality Ratings
• more hospital ratings...»

Hospital & Clinic quality ratings » »

Choosing the Best Hospital: More general information, not necessarily in relation to Bipolar disorder, on hospital performance and surgical care quality:

• 50 Best Hospitals Report
• Outstanding Patient Experinece Award Winning Hospitals
• Women's Health Best Hospitals
• Patient Safety
• Hospital Quality and Clinical Excellence Study (2009)

Bipolar disorder: Rare Types

Rare types of diseases and disorders in related medical categories:

• Brain & Neurological Disorders: Rare Types:
  • Adult ADHD -- Rare Types
  • ADHD -- Rare Types
  • Alzheimer Disease -- Rare Types
  • Migraine -- Rare Types
  • Concentration Disorders -- Rare Types
  • Stroke -- Rare Types
  • Bipolar Disorder -- Rare Types
  • Schizophrenia -- Rare Types
  • Epilepsy -- Rare Types
• more rare diseases...»

Causes of Bipolar disorder

• People with an immediate family member with bipolar disorder are at higher risk
• Genetic factors
• Environmental influence
• Childhood precursors
• Life events and experiences
• more causes...»

Read more about causes of Bipolar disorder

More information about causes of Bipolar disorder:

• Underlying causes of Bipolar disorder
• Bipolar disorder as a complication caused by other conditions
• Bipolar disorder as a symptom
• Medical news summaries relating to Causes of Bipolar disorder

Treatments for Bipolar disorder

• Therapies
  • Cognitive-behavioral therapy
  • Interpersonal and social rhythm therapy
  • Family therapy
  • Psychoeducation
• more treatments...»

See full list of 31 treatments for Bipolar disorder

News Archives for Bipolar disorder

Medical news articles related to Bipolar disorder include:

• Common Gene Mutation Lowers Risk for Bipolar Disorder
• Breast Cancer Drug Might Treat Bipolar Disorder
• Kids' Risks Increase When Parents Are Bipolar
• Bipolar Teens at Greater Risk of Substance Abuse
• Risperdal Consta Approved for Bipolar Disorder
• more health news...»

Source: HealthDay News

Evidence Based Medicine Research for Bipolar disorder

Medical research articles related to Bipolar disorder include:

• Olanzapine in long-term treatment for bipolar disorder
• Common genetic determinants of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in Swedish families: a population-based study.
• A 51-year-old woman with bipolar disorder who wants to quit smoking.
• How should a patient taking lithium for bipolar disorder with serum creatinine levels outside the normal range and a gradually decreasing eGFR be managed?
• Antipsychotic-induced extrapyramidal side effects in bipolar disorder and schizophrenia: a systematic review
• Efficacy of quetiapine monotherapy in rapid-cycling bipolar disorder in comparison with sodium valproate
• Omega-3 fatty acids for bipolar disorder
• more research...»

Click here to find more evidence-based articles on the TRIP Database

Videos for Bipolar disorder

Patient Surveys for Bipolar disorder

• Patient Profile Survey
  Take Survey  View Results
• Survey about the symptoms of your Bipolar disorder
  Take Survey  View Results

Prognosis for Bipolar disorder

Prognosis for Bipolar disorder: For many individuals with bipolar disorder a good prognosis results from good treatment, which, in turn, results from an accurate diagnosis. Because bipolar disorder can have a high rate of both under-diagnosis and misdiagnosis, it is often difficult for individuals with the condition to receive timely and competent treatment.

More about prognosis of Bipolar disorder

Reseach about Bipolar disorder

Visit our research pages for current research about Bipolar disorder treatments.

Clinical Trials for Bipolar disorder

The US based website ClinicalTrials.gov lists information on both federally and privately supported clinical trials using human volunteers.

Some of the clinical trials listed on ClinicalTrials.gov for Bipolar disorder include:

• Evaluation of Patients With Rapid Cycling Bipolar Disorder (RCBD) - This study has been completed (Current: 23 Nov 2006)
• Maintenance Therapies in Bipolar Disorders - This study has been completed (Current: 23 Nov 2006) - Lithium carbonate
• Evaluation of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) in the Treatment of Mood Disorders - This study is no longer recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006)
• Safety And Efficacy Study Of Depakote ER To Treat Pediatric Bipolar Disorder - This study is no longer recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006) - Divalproex sodium extended release
• Clinical Trial of a Nutritional Supplement in Adults With Bipolar Disorder - This study is currently recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006) - MCN36 (nutritional supplement)
• more trials...»

See full list of 305 Clinical Trials for Bipolar disorder

Statistics for Bipolar disorder

• Medical statistics for Bipolar disorder
• Prevalence and incidence statistics for Bipolar disorder
• Death and Mortality statistics for Bipolar disorder
• Society statistics for Bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder: Broader Related Topics

• Mood disorders
• Depressive disorders
• Brain conditions
• Mental illness
• more types...»

Types of Bipolar disorder

Types of Bipolar disorder

• Bipolar I disorder - recurrent episodes of mania and depression
• Bipolar II disorder - episodes of mild mania (hypomania) and depression
• Rapid-cycling bipolar disorder - 4 or more episodes a year
• more types...»

Read more about Types of Bipolar disorder

Curable Types of Bipolar disorder

Possibly curable types of Bipolar disorder include:

• Drug abuse related
• Reserpine induced depression
• Multiple sclerosis
• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
• Cylcothymic disorder
• more types...»

Rare Types of Bipolar disorder:

Rare types of Bipolar disorder include:

• Drug abuse related
• Schizophrenic associated
• Schizoaffective disorders
• Reserpine induced depression
• Neurosyphilis
• Multiple sclerosis
• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
• more types...»

Stories from Users Related to Bipolar disorder

• misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder 1.
• Anxiety/depression or more?
• Looks like depression, but it's not
• Symptoms of depression or something else! need immidiete answer!!
• Depression
• Next Steps? I think my husband is severely depressed
• I Am Bipolar
• I think about suicide but am not depressed
• Heres some info on why I wasnt bipolar
• Post Partum Depression - Being On Medicaton While Breastfeeding
• Depression - Physical Symptoms?
• a few phoney bipolar diagnosises
• Bipolar?......I don't think so!!!!!!!
• Misdiagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, sorry it's long...
• Dizziness, Panic, And Depression
• Misdiagnosis - Depression and Anxiety
• Help with anxiety/depression
• 1 Year Now: No Meds for Depression Have Helped
• Provigil - do you have side affects?
• Bipolar? Anxiety Disorder? I don't know!

Related forums and medical stories:

• Brain Conditions (246)
  • arachnoid cyst
  • Pain/Pressure in back of head when I laugh
  • Fluid running down back of my head feeling
  • "ice Pick" Headaches
  • vertigo + other symptoms
  • More user stories

User Interactive Forums

Read about other experiences, ask a question about Bipolar disorder, or answer someone else's question, on our message boards:

• I can not get a diagnosis. Please help.
• Tell us your medical story.
• Share your misdiagnosis story.
• What is the best treatment for this?
• See all the forums.

Article Excerpts about Bipolar disorder

Going to Extremes Bipolar Disorder: NIMH (Excerpt)

There is a tendency to romanticize bipolar disorder. Many artists, musicians and writers have suffered from its mood swings. But in truth, many lives are ruined by this disease; and without effective treatment, the illness is associated with an increased risk of suicide. (Source: excerpt from Going to Extremes Bipolar Disorder: NIMH)

Bipolar Disorder: NIMH (Excerpt)

a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in a person's mood, energy, and ability to function. Different from the normal ups and downs that everyone goes through, the symptoms of bipolar disorder are severe. They can result in damaged relationships, poor job or school performance, and even suicide. But there is good news: bipolar disorder can be treated, and people with this illness can lead full and productive lives. (Source: excerpt from Bipolar Disorder: NIMH)

Definitions of Bipolar disorder:

A major affective disorder marked by severe mood swings (manic or major depressive episodes) and a tendency to remission and recurrence. - (Source - Diseases Database)

A mental disorder characterized by episodes of mania and depression - (Source - WordNet 2.1)

Ophanet, a consortium of European partners, currently defines a condition rare when it affects 1 person per 2,000. They list Bipolar disorder as a "rare disease".
Source - Orphanet