Bipolar Disorder and seizure disorders

[Ash]

Is there some link between Bipolar Disorder and seizure disorders? I'm curious because a lot of the mood stabilizers used today are actually anti-seizure medications. As far as I know, they can and do work. Is there a relationship?

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Not necessarily. Many of the medications developed initially as treatments for seizure disorders have been found to be beneficial in lower doses for other conditions -- an example is clonazepam, which is used now in the treatment of anxiety disorders and sometimes insomnia.

This isn't unusual, really -- the SSRIs, originally developed for the treatment of depression, are also found to be helpful in treating diverse conditions such as anxiety disorders, OCD, ADHD, eating disorders, etc.