Bipolar disorder is a mental illness characterized by extreme shifts in mood, mainly the instability of mood, going from extreme highs to extreme lows. People living with this condition may experience episodes of mania and hypomania or depression. These may last for a period of days or weeks to months or years, so this condition will affect each person differently. In regard to treatment, armodafinil is now being explored to care for those individuals suffering from depression as a result of a bipolar disorder.
Identification
At present, armodafinil, which is the generic name for Nuvigil, is a prescription medication commonly used for sleep disorders, including sleep apnea, narcolepsy and a condition called shift-work sleep disorder, often referred to by its acronym SWSD. What this particular medication does is influence the brain on a chemical level to essentially lessen sleepiness when a person should be awake. At the same time as armodafinil is working to diminish this almost lethargic state, its use should also improve both memory and awareness, which are two aspects that are often affected by these particular sleep disorders.
Significance
Since armodafinil is a eugeroic drug, it has an effect on a specific neurotransmitter in the brain called norepinephrine. If you're at all familiar with inner workings of bipolar disorder, you already know that norepinephrine plays a role in both the "highs and lows" commonly felt in this condition. It is when this chemical drops to a rather low level or spikes to a fairly high level that someone living with bipolar disorder would experience either depression or mania, respectively. This means that armodafinil may be beneficial in its treatment.
Studies
According to the Stanford University of Medicine, studies are underway to explore new medications that have a "greater efficacy for mood symptoms" in the treatment of bipolar disorders. Armodafinil is one such drug. However, armodafinil is essentially a stimulant that only stimulates when needed, so its effectiveness is believed to only treat those individuals that are suffering from depression due to bipolar disorders. Those individuals experiencing mania due to bipolar disorder wouldn't need to increase the level of norepinephrine in the brain, so it wouldn't be used in such cases.
Use
Armodafinil alone will not be used to treat depression associated with bipolar disorder. It will actually be used as an adjunct medication, meaning it will be used in combination with other medications commonly used to treat this condition, including Lithium, valproic acid, olanzapine and lamotrigine.
Side Effects
As with almost any medication on the market today, armodafinil has been known to cause certain adverse reactions in some individuals. While most are seemingly minor, they can take a toll on a person living with a bipolar disorder. These effects include nausea, diarrhea, headache, backache or difficulty getting to sleep or staying asleep. Some people have been known to experience an increase in anxiousness, which can be problematic for someone with bipolar disorder. In this case, the doctor will cease the patient's use of the medication.
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