Editing Mood stabilizer (section)

===Anticonvulsants===
Many agents described as "mood stabilizers" are also categorized as [[anticonvulsants]]. The term "anticonvulsant mood stabilizers" is sometimes used to describe these as a class.<ref name=pmid15936730>{{cite journal |vauthors=Ichikawa J, Dai J, Meltzer HY |title=Lithium differs from anticonvulsant mood stabilizers in prefrontal cortical and accumbal dopamine release: role of 5-HT(1A) receptor agonism |journal=Brain Res. |volume=1049 |issue=2 |pages=182–90 |date=July 2005 |pmid=15936730 |doi=10.1016/j.brainres.2005.05.005 |s2cid=6180568 }}</ref> Although this group is also defined by effect rather than mechanism, there is at least a preliminary understanding of the mechanism of most of the anticonvulsants used in the treatment of mood disorders.{{citation needed|date=March 2013}}

; [[Valproate]]
: Available in extended release form. This drug can be very irritating to the stomach, especially when taken as a free acid. [[Liver function tests|Liver function]] and [[Full blood count|CBC]] should be monitored. Common side effects include sleepiness, nausea, dry mouth. More serious side effects include liver dysfunction, pancreatitis and [[polycystic ovary syndrome]].<ref name="eMC">{{cite web|title=Depakote 500mg Tablets|url=https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/medicine/25947|website=electronic Medicine Compendium|publisher=Dataphram Communications Limited|access-date=28 September 2016}}</ref><ref name="Depakote FDA label">{{cite web|title=Depakote- divalproex sodium tablet, delayed release|url=https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=08a65cf4-7749-4ceb-6895-8f4805e2b01f |access-date=10 November 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305202922/http://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=08a65cf4-7749-4ceb-6895-8f4805e2b01f|archive-date=5 March 2016}}</ref> Weight gain is possible.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Chukwu J, Delanty N, Webb D, Cavalleri GL | title = Weight change, genetics and antiepileptic drugs | journal = Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology | volume = 7 | issue = 1 | pages = 43–51 | date = January 2014 | pmid = 24308788 | doi = 10.1586/17512433.2014.857599 | s2cid = 33444886 }}</ref>
; [[Lamotrigine]] (aka Lamictal)
: FDA approved for bipolar disorder maintenance therapy, not for acute mood problems like depression or mania/hypomania.<ref name="FDA Prescribing Information at drugs.com" /> The usual target dose is 100–200&nbsp;mg daily, titrated to by 25&nbsp;mg increments every 2 weeks.<ref>Healy D. 2005 Psychiatric Drugs explained 4th ed. Churchill Liviingstone: London p.110</ref> Lamotrigine can cause [[Stevens–Johnson syndrome]], a very rare but potentially fatal skin condition.<ref name="FDA Prescribing Information at drugs.com">{{cite web | url = https://www.drugs.com/pro/lamictal.html | title = Lamictal – FDA Prescibing Information}}</ref>
; [[Carbamazepine]]
: FDA approved for the treatment of acute manic or mixed (i.e., both depressed and manic mood features) episodes in people with bipolar disorder type I.<ref name="CBZ PI">{{cite web |title=EQUETRO(carbamazepine) Package Insert |url=https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2016/021710s11s012lbl.pdf |publisher=Validus Pharmaceuticals LLC|access-date=10 July 2020}}</ref> Carbamazepine can rarely cause a dangerous decrease in [[neutrophils]], a type of [[white blood cell]], called [[agranulocytosis]].<ref name="CBZ PI" /> It [[drug interaction|interacts]] with many medications, including other mood stabilizers (e.g. lamotrigine) and antipsychotics (e.g. [[quetiapine]]).<ref name="CBZ PI" /> It is considered second-line for bipolar disorder due to its side effects.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Nevitt SJ, Marson AG, Weston J, Tudur Smith C | title = Sodium valproate versus phenytoin monotherapy for epilepsy: an individual participant data review | journal = The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews | volume = 2018 | pages = CD001769 | date = August 2018 | issue = 8 | pmid = 30091458 | pmc = 6513104 | doi = 10.1002/14651858.CD001769.pub4 }}</ref>

There is insufficient evidence to support the use of various other anticonvulsants, such as [[gabapentin]] and [[topiramate]], as mood stabilizers.<ref name="Ketter2007">{{cite book | author = Terence A. Ketter | title = Advances in Treatment of Bipolar Disorder | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=aSh-GEQfbhAC&pg=PA42 | date = 3 May 2007 | publisher = American Psychiatric Pub | isbn = 978-1-58562-666-3 | page = 42}}</ref>