What Are the Best Mood Stabilizer Drugs for Bipolar Disorder?
Updated: 11/22/2025
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At a Glance: The Best Drugs for Mood Stabilization
Mood stabilizers help reduce mood episodes by managing the highs of mania and the lows of depression in bipolar disorder. They do this by balancing brain chemicals and calming overactive neural pathways.
Mood stabilizers are not the same as antidepressants, which can sometimes trigger mania in bipolar disorder.
The most common options include lithium, sodium valproate, lamotrigine, oxcarbazepine, and carbamazepine.
Like all medications, there are side effects associated with mood stabilizers. They often improve over time. Some medications require blood monitoring or have interactions, so it is important to work closely with your psychiatrist or prescribing doctor.
If you have bipolar disorder, you know that managing ups and downs in mood can be challenging. Mood stabilizers for bipolar disorder can help manage both the highs (mania) and lows (depression). These bipolar medications work by restoring the balance of neurochemicals in the brain and by decreasing brain activity. They should make you feel leveled out and stable. This will help reduce symptoms like euphoria, risky behavior (like overspending), and agitation. Let’s take a look at the best mood stabilzier drugs.
What Are Mood Stabilizers?
Mood stabilizer medicines help control episodes of mania, hypomania, and bipolar depression. They work by increasing or decreasing certain neurotransmitters so the brain stays more balanced. They also calm overactive neural pathways in the brain. Many mood stabilizers (such as sodium valproate and lamotrigine) were originally developed as anticonvulsants, but researchers found they also stabilize mood swings and reduce mood cycling.
Mood Stabilizers for Bipolar
Here are some of the most common mood stabilizing drugs used in bipolar disorder. Each works differently, so the right one for you depends on your medical history and symptoms.
Lithium (Priadel, Lithobid, or Eskalith)
Lithium is an element that occurs naturally. An interesting fact is that it is third on the periodic table! Lithium has been used for bipolar disorder for more than 50 years. Besides electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), lithium is the single most effective treatment in psychiatry, according to researchers. And, it is one of the best mood stabilizers for bipolar 1.
Benefits: Lithium is the only mood stabilizer that has been found to significantly reduce the risk of suicide and overall mortality for those with bipolar disorder. It also reduces the risk of heart disease, cancer, viral illness, and stroke.
Things to consider: The disadvantage of lithium for bipolar disorder is that it can cause thyroid and kidney damage over time. Additionally, this medication can be toxic if too much of it builds up in your blood. Lithium requires frequent blood monitoring because of these risks.
The use of lithium for bipolar disorder has been declining (in the United States) over the past few years, likely because of concerns about toxicity, kidney damage, and the burden of frequent monitoring. Regardless, it’s considered the “Gold Standard” treatment for bipolar disorder.
Sodium Valproate (Depakote)
Sodium valproate is an anticonvulsant medication that is used to treat acute bipolar mania and mixed episodes. This medication is not very effective for bipolar depression.
Benefits: Highly effective for treating manic episodes.
Things to consider: Depakote is not recommended if you are pregnant. It has been placed in the pregnancy category X by the FDA, as it can cause serious harm to the fetus.
Lamotrigine (Lamictal)
Lamotrigine is an anti-epileptic medication that is also approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a maintenance treatment for bipolar depression. It was the first FDA-approved medication for bipolar disorder maintenance since lithium. Lamotrigine has been found in clinical studies to help delay episodes of mania, hypomania (a milder form of mania), mixed episodes, and depression. Lamotrigine is not effective for acute mania.
Benefits: Often well tolerated with fewer long-term side effects compared to many other mood stabilizers.
Things to consider: Lamotrigine is associated with several life-threatening rashes, including Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN). It must be started slowly to reduce the risk of rash.
Carbamazepine (Tegretol)
Carbamazepine is an anticonvulsant medication that is FDA-approved to treat acute manic or mixed manic episodes in bipolar 1 disorder. It’s been used for more than 30 years for bipolar disorder. It’s been found to be a safe and well-tolerated therapy in clinical trials.
Benefits: Useful for mixed episodes.
Things to consider: Carbamazepine can affect liver function. It can also lower sodium levels. For this reason, blood monitoring may be needed.
Oxcarbazepine (Trileptal)
Oxcarbazepine is an anticonvulsant medication that is sometimes used off-label for bipolar disorder. However, it is not FDA-approved for this condition. Studies have found that it has promise in preventing manic episodes.
Benefits: It’s often better tolerated than carbamazepine.
Things to consider: It is not FDA-approved for bipolar disorder.
Do Mood Stabilizers Have Side Effects?
Side effects are common with mood stabilizers — like all medications, especially the first couple of weeks. With continued usage, they should go away or decrease in severity. The exact side effects caused by mood stabilizers depend on the medication. If you’re experiencing severe side effects, contact your doctor right away.
Also, be aware that some mood stabilizers may interact with other medications. For example, lithium cannot be taken with Ibuprofen because of the risk of lithium toxicity. Always check the medication label or talk to your pharmacist to learn the side effects and potential drug interactions.
Looking for extra support while you figure out medication options? Online-Therapy.com offers online CBT, worksheets, and unlimited messaging with your therapist with every plan.
FAQs: Mood Stabilizer Medicines
Here are the most frequently asked questions that people have about bipolar mood stabilizer medications.
What are the best mood stabilizers for bipolar depression?
Lamotrigine (Lamictal) is one of the best mood stabilizers for the prevention of bipolar depression. Lurasidone (Latuda) is an antipsychotic that has been found to be particularly effective for bipolar depression.
What are the best mood stabilizers for mania?
Lithium is one of the best mood stabilizers for mania. Sodium valproate is also used for mania. Mood stabilizers, including lithium, can sometimes take a couple of weeks to reach their full effect, so other medications like antipsychotics may also be used to treat acute mania.
Is there a specific medication for bipolar anger?
Anger or rage can be a sign of a bipolar mood episode. Mood stabilizers like lithium, lamotrigine, and sodium valproate may help with bipolar anger and irritability.
What is the safest mood stabilizer?
It’s natural to want the safest mood stabilzier, especially for long-term use. Safety depends on the individual, as well as hydration, other medical issues, and more. To find the safest one for you, it’s best to talk to your doctor.
Are antidepressants mood stabilizers?
Antidepressants are used to treat depression. However, they are not (or very carefully) used as mood stabilizers for bipolar disorder because of the risk of triggering a manic or mixed episode.
