PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Bipolar and pregnant

Bipolar drugs lose effect during pregnancy, so women need higher doses to stay well

2013-11-02
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Marla Paul
marla-paul@northwestern.edu
312-503-8928
Northwestern University
Bipolar and pregnant Bipolar drugs lose effect during pregnancy, so women need higher doses to stay well CHICAGO --- New Northwestern Medicine® research offers one of the first in-depth studies of how physiological changes during pregnancy reduce the effects of a commonly used drug to treat bipolar disorder, making women more vulnerable to recurring episodes. The new findings will help psychiatrists and physicians prevent bipolar manic and depressive symptoms during pregnancy, which are risky for the health of the mother and her unborn child.

When a woman with bipolar disorder becomes pregnant, she and her physician often don't realize her medication needs adjusting to prevent the symptoms from coming back – a higher risk during pregnancy. There also is little information and research to guide dosing for psychiatric medications during pregnancy.

Approximately 4.4 million women in the U.S. have bipolar disorder with women of childbearing age having the highest prevalence.

The new study shows the blood concentration of the commonly used drug lamotrigine decreases in pregnant women. About half of the women in the study had worsening depressive symptoms as their lamotrigine blood levels dropped. The drug levels fall because women have increased metabolism during pregnancy.

"Now physicians change the dose of the drug in response to women's symptoms worsening," said lead investigator Crystal Clark, M.D., an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a psychiatrist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. "We need to optimize their medication dosing so they stay well."

The study results will help physicians understand how to increase their patients' doses during pregnancy and then reduce them postpartum to avoid toxicity, Clark said. Guidelines for prescribing the drug for pregnant women with the disorder also are included.

The study was published Nov. 1 in the American Journal of Psychiatry.

Depressive episodes -- as opposed to manic -- are most likely to recur in pregnant women with bipolar disorder.

"The safety of the fetus is at risk," Clark said. "Pregnant women that are depressed are less likely to take care of themselves which often leads to poor nutrition, lack of compliance with prenatal care and isolation from family and friends. It has also been linked to premature births and babies with low birth weights among other poor birth outcomes."

INFORMATION:

The study was supported by grant R01 MH 075921 from the National Institute of Mental Health of the National Institutes of Health.

NORTHWESTERN NEWS: http://www.northwestern.edu/newscenter/

END



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Study finds a patchwork of genetic variation in the brain

2013-11-02
Study finds a patchwork of genetic variation in the brain Salk scientists find a surprising degree of variation among genomes of individual neurons from the same brain It was once thought that each cell in a person's body possesses the same DNA code and that the particular way ...

Results of the GIANT trial reported at TCT 2013

2013-11-01
Results of the GIANT trial reported at TCT 2013 Genetic profiling may provide clinical benefit by identifying heart attack patients that are resistant to blood thinners SAN FRANCISCO, CA – October 31, 2013 – According to a new study, genetic profiling of patients undergoing ...

Percutaneous repair of valve leaks: A new treatment for patients at high risk of cardiac surgery

2013-11-01
Percutaneous repair of valve leaks: A new treatment for patients at high risk of cardiac surgery PCI repair can mitigate known risks that accompany increases in implanted valves MINNEAPOLIS, MN—October 31, 2013—A Paravalvular regurgitation, or leakage, ...

Results of the TATORT-NSTEMI trial presented at TCT 2013

2013-11-01
Results of the TATORT-NSTEMI trial presented at TCT 2013 Removing blood clots during PCI does not improve outcomes compared to standard angioplasty in patients with non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction SAN FRANCISCO, CA – OCTOBER 31, 2013 – According to a new study, ...

Results of the REPRISE II trial reported at TCT 2013

2013-11-01
Results of the REPRISE II trial reported at TCT 2013 Second generation transcatheter aortic valve shown to successfully address complications of TAVR SAN FRANCISCO, CA – THURSDAY OCTOBER 31, 2013 – In a clinical trial, a second-generation transcatheter aortic valve demonstrated ...

Experimental drug shows encouraging results in treating most common form of lung cancer

2013-11-01
Experimental drug shows encouraging results in treating most common form of lung cancer An experimental cancer drug that has shown promise in the treatment of melanoma has also shown early potential as an effective treatment for patients with non-small ...

Oligomeric proanthocyanidin suppresses the death of retinal ganglion cells

2013-11-01
Oligomeric proanthocyanidin suppresses the death of retinal ganglion cells The death of retinal ganglion cells is a hallmark of many optic neurodegenerative diseases such as glaucoma and retinopathy. Oxidative stress is one of the major reasons to cause the ...

Can Aβ worsen cognitive impairment following cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury?

2013-11-01
Can Aβ worsen cognitive impairment following cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury? Amyloid β-peptide, a major component of senile plaques in Alzheimer's disease, has been impli-cated in neuronal cell death and cognitive impairment. Recently, studies ...

Low-frequency rTMS prevents chronic epileptic seizure

2013-11-01
Low-frequency rTMS prevents chronic epileptic seizure Although increasing evidence indicates that low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), an emerging technology for neural regulation, has antiepileptic effects, the mechanism remains unclear. ...

Exposure to cortisol-like medications before birth may contribute to emotional problems and brain changes

2013-11-01
Exposure to cortisol-like medications before birth may contribute to emotional problems and brain changes Reports new study in Biological Psychiatry Philadelphia, PA, October 31, 2013 – Neonatologists seem to perform miracles in the fight to support the survival of ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Salk scientist Joseph Ecker awarded McClintock Prize for Plant Genetics and Genome Studies

ADHD: Women are diagnosed five years later than men, despite symptoms appearing at the same age.

Power plants may emit more pollution during government shutdowns

Increasing pressures for conformity de-skilling and demotivating teachers, study warns

Researchers develop smarter menstrual product with potential for wearable health monitoring

Microwaves for energy-efficient chemical reactions

MXene current collectors could reduce size, improve recyclability of Li-ion batteries

Living near toxic sites linked to aggressive breast cancer

New discovery could open door to male birth control

Wirth elected Fellow of American Physical Society

The Journal of Nuclear Medicine Ahead-of-Print Tip Sheet: October 10, 2025

Destined to melt

Attitudes, not income, drive energy savings at home

The playbook for perfect polaritons

‘Disease in a dish’ study of progressive MS finds critical role for unusual type of brain cell

Solar-powered method lights the way to a ‘de-fossilized’ chemical industry

Screen time linked to lower academic achievement among Ontario elementary students

One-year outcomes after traumatic brain injury and early extracranial surgery in the TRACK-TBI Study

Enduring outcomes of COVID-19 work absences on the US labor market

Affirmative action repeal and racial and ethnic diversity in us medical school admissions

Cancer progression illuminated by new multi-omics tool

Screen time and standardized academic achievement tests in elementary school

GLP-1RA order fills and out-of-pocket costs by race, ethnicity, and indication

Study finds HEPA purifiers alone may not be enough to reduce viral exposure in schools

UVA Health developing way to ID people at risk of dangerous lung scarring even before symptoms appear

How can we know when curing cancer causes myocarditis?

Male infertility in Indian men linked to lifestyle choices and hormonal imbalances

An acoustofluidic device for sample preparation and detection of small extracellular vesicles

The advent of nanotechnology has ushered in a transformative era for oncology, offering unprecedented capabilities for targeted drug delivery and controlled release. This paradigm shift enhances thera

A prototype LED as thin as wallpaper — that glows like the sun

[Press-News.org] Bipolar and pregnant
Bipolar drugs lose effect during pregnancy, so women need higher doses to stay well