WASHINGTON, March 29 Antidepressants may be ineffective for depressed people with bipolar disorder if they are already taking a mood stabilizer, according to a U.S. study.The study in the New England Journal of Medicine sought to determine if adding an antidepressant to a mood stabilizer is effective and safe in treating depressive episodes. The results suggest antidepressants are safe but not more effective than placebo.Bipolar disorder is usually characterized by severe mood swings between episodes of mania and depression. It is often treated with mood stabilizers such as lithium, valproate and carbamazepine, which reduce mania. Those with bipolar disorder may also be prescribed antidepressants, because depressive episodes tend to be more common and last longer. However, antidepressants were thought to carry the risk of switching a depressive episode over to a manic episode.The results revealed "careful management of mood stabilizer medications is a reasonable alternative to adding an antidepressant medication for treating bipolar depression," lead author Dr. Gary Sachs said in a statement. Copyright 2007 by UPI
