Free mood stabilizer medication list to download

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Key takeaways

A mood stabilizer medication list groups the drugs used in bipolar and schizoaffective disorder by class, with indications, dosing, and monitoring in one place.

Three classes carry almost all prescribing: lithium, the anticonvulsants valproate, lamotrigine and carbamazepine, and the atypical antipsychotics.

Approval for an acute episode is separate from approval for maintenance, so oral risperidone covers acute mania only and lamotrigine covers maintenance only.

Monitoring differs by drug. Lithium needs serum levels plus renal and thyroid checks, valproate needs liver function tests, and the atypicals need metabolic panels.

The downloadable chart holds all nine agents, so a prescriber can check a dose range or a monitoring interval without leaving the room.

A mood stabilizer medication list is a clinical reference that groups the drugs used in bipolar and schizoaffective disorder by class.

Each entry carries the generic and brand names, the FDA-approved indication, a typical dose range, and the monitoring the drug requires.

Three classes cover almost all prescribing: lithium, the anticonvulsants (valproate, lamotrigine, carbamazepine), and the atypical antipsychotics (quetiapine, aripiprazole, olanzapine, risperidone, lurasidone). That is nine agents in total, each with its own monitoring burden. Dedicated psychiatry EMR software can hold those dates against the prescription, but the reference data comes first.

One distinction runs through the whole list. Approval for an acute episode and approval for maintenance are two separate FDA decisions. Oral risperidone is approved for acute manic or mixed episodes and not for maintenance. Lurasidone is approved for bipolar I depression and not bipolar II. The chart below keeps those apart, because a switch decision turns on them.

What is a mood stabilizer medication list?

A mood stabilizer medication list is a single-page clinical reference that pulls nine separate FDA labels into one grid. Prescribers, mental health clinicians, and practice teams use it during consultations and treatment planning, where the alternative is nine separate lookups.

Mood stabilizers are the foundation of drug treatment for bipolar disorder and related conditions. The three classes work through different neurochemical mechanisms. They share one goal, which is to reduce the frequency and severity of manic, depressive, and mixed episodes.

The list also records what the prescriber considered. Accurate medication and monitoring records are what compliance frameworks and the professional standards set by the American Psychiatric Association ask for. They also defend a prescribing decision during an audit or an inquiry. That is why therapy practice management systems keep the two together.

Mood stabilizers by drug class

The three classes differ in mechanism, in FDA-approved indication, in dosing, and in what has to be monitored. The table below covers the agents prescribed most often in psychiatric practice.

Note: dosing reflects typical ranges from FDA labeling and American Psychiatric Association guidance. Individual dosing needs prescriber judgment and titration against clinical response and tolerability. Treat this table as a reference, not a prescribing directive.

Read the indication column by episode type and a pattern separates out. Approval for acute mania, approval for bipolar depression, and approval for maintenance rarely travel together.

Lithium: Still the gold standard

Lithium is the most extensively studied treatment for bipolar I disorder and remains first-line. It comes as lithium carbonate, and as lithium citrate in a liquid form for patients who need precise dose adjustments.

Mechanism and indications

Lithium’s mechanism in bipolar disorder is still incompletely understood. It is thought to modulate serotonin and noradrenaline activity, stabilize circadian rhythms, and support neuroprotection.

The FDA-approved indications are acute mania in bipolar I disorder and maintenance therapy to prevent manic recurrence. Off-label augmentation for bipolar depression and treatment-resistant depression is common in practice.

Dosing and serum level monitoring

Lithium has a narrow therapeutic window. Maintenance serum levels run 0.6 to 1.2 mEq/L, and toxicity typically begins above 1.5 mEq/L. Dosing usually starts at 600 mg daily in divided doses. Titrate upward every five to seven days against levels drawn 12 hours post-dose, with steady state reached at five to seven days.

What to monitor and when

Lithium’s renal effects and narrow therapeutic index mean four things get checked on a fixed schedule.

• Serum creatinine at baseline and then annually, to track renal function.
• Thyroid-stimulating hormone at baseline and annually, because lithium causes hypothyroidism.
• Serum lithium level at five to seven days, then every three to six months.
• Electrocardiogram at baseline and annually, since lithium can cause arrhythmias in patients with existing heart disease.

Anticonvulsant mood stabilizers: Valproate, lamotrigine, carbamazepine

Anticonvulsants with mood-stabilizing properties give an alternative to lithium. They are often preferred in bipolar II disorder, in rapid cycling, and where lithium is contraindicated.

Valproate (Depakote)

• FDA approval: acute mania in bipolar I disorder.
• Mechanism: increases GABA neurotransmission and modulates sodium channels.
• Black Box Warning: valproate is teratogenic. For bipolar disorder it is pregnancy category D, meaning restricted use with a documented risk-benefit assessment rather than an absolute contraindication. The category X contraindication applies to valproate prescribed for migraine prevention.
• Dosing: 750 to 3,000 mg/day in divided doses, with a serum level target of 50 to 125 mcg/mL.
• Monitoring: liver function tests at baseline and at 6 to 12 months, then periodically. Valproate levels and a complete blood count, since valproate can cause thrombocytopenia.

Lamotrigine (Lamictal)

• FDA approval: maintenance treatment of bipolar I disorder, which in practice means preventing depressive recurrence. It is not approved for acute mania.
• Mechanism: sodium channel blocking and glutamate reduction.
• Black Box Warning: Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis, especially at high doses and in patients under age 16.
• Dosing: slow titration is required to limit rash risk. Start at 50 mg/day and increase by 50 mg weekly, to a typical maintenance dose of 100 to 400 mg/day.
• Interaction: valproate roughly doubles lamotrigine levels, so cut the lamotrigine dose by about half.

Carbamazepine (Tegretol)

• FDA approval: acute mania and mixed episodes in bipolar I disorder.
• Mechanism: sodium channel blocking, similar to lamotrigine.
• Genetic testing: the Boxed Warning recommends HLA-B*1502 testing before starting in high-risk populations, including patients of Asian ancestry, because of Stevens-Johnson syndrome risk. This is a labeling recommendation, not an FDA REMS program.
• Dosing: 400 to 1,600 mg/day, with a serum level target of 4 to 12 mcg/mL.
• Monitoring: liver function tests and a complete blood count at baseline and periodically.
• Interactions: carbamazepine is a potent CYP3A4 inducer. It lowers levels of oral contraceptives, warfarin, other mood stabilizers, and many other drugs.

Atypical antipsychotics in bipolar treatment

Second-generation antipsychotics hold FDA approval across bipolar mania, bipolar depression, and maintenance, though quetiapine is the only agent approved in all three. They are used as monotherapy or as augmentation, and are often chosen in first-episode bipolar disorder.

Common atypical antipsychotics

• Quetiapine (Seroquel): 300 to 800 mg/day. FDA-approved for bipolar I and II depression, for mania, and for maintenance. Sedation is common at higher doses, and metabolic monitoring is required.
• Aripiprazole (Abilify): 15 to 30 mg/day. FDA-approved for bipolar I mania and maintenance. Akathisia is the notable side effect, and weight gain is usually milder than with other atypicals.
• Olanzapine (Zyprexa): 5 to 20 mg/day, often 10 to 15 mg/day. FDA-approved for acute mania and maintenance. Weight gain and metabolic effects are significant, so regular metabolic monitoring is essential.
• Risperidone (Risperdal): 2 to 6 mg/day. Oral risperidone is FDA-approved for acute manic or mixed episodes only. The maintenance approval belongs to the long-acting injectable, Risperdal Consta. Watch for extrapyramidal effects and prolactin elevation.
• Lurasidone (Latuda): 20 to 120 mg/day, taken with food. FDA-approved for bipolar I depression, not bipolar II. The metabolic profile is better than most atypicals, but nausea is common and hepatic dose adjustment applies.

Metabolic monitoring applies to every atypical antipsychotic: weight, waist circumference, blood pressure, fasting glucose or HbA1c, and a lipid panel. Take them at baseline, at 4, 8 and 12 weeks, then annually.

Side effects by drug class

Each class carries a distinct side-effect profile, and those profiles shape the choice as much as the indication does. They also set what the patient needs to hear at consent.

Lithium side effects

• Fine tremor, more pronounced at higher serum levels.
• Polyuria and polydipsia, meaning excessive urination and thirst.
• Weight gain.
• Hypothyroidism, in 5 to 30 percent of long-term users.
• Renal impairment, since chronic use can reduce glomerular filtration rate.
• Gastrointestinal upset, including nausea and diarrhea.

Lithium toxicity presents as coarse tremor, confusion, ataxia, slurred speech, vomiting, diarrhea, and muscle weakness. It is a medical emergency that needs hospitalization and supportive care.

Anticonvulsant side effects

• Valproate: tremor, sedation, weight gain, hair loss, rare hepatotoxicity that is more common in children, and rare pancreatitis.
• Lamotrigine: a benign maculopapular rash in about 10 percent of patients, Stevens-Johnson syndrome in under 0.1 percent, plus tremor, diplopia, and ataxia.
• Carbamazepine: rash across a similar spectrum, hyponatremia, sedation, ataxia, diplopia, and blood dyscrasias including agranulocytosis and thrombocytopenia.

Atypical antipsychotic side effects

• Metabolic: weight gain, worst with olanzapine and quetiapine and milder with aripiprazole and lurasidone, plus hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia.
• Movement: akathisia, parkinsonism, and dystonia, all less common than with typical antipsychotics.
• Endocrine: prolactin elevation, highest with risperidone.
• Cardiovascular: QT prolongation with quetiapine and lurasidone.
• Other: sedation, orthostatic hypotension, and dry mouth.

Monitoring requirements, drug by drug

Laboratory monitoring runs for years, and the intervals differ for every drug. Prescription management software can hold each schedule with the prescription, so the next due date surfaces while the patient is still in front of you.

Documentation tip: log baseline values and every monitoring date in the clinical record rather than a side spreadsheet. Pair that with a daily mood chart the patient completes between visits. The record then holds both the labs and the response they are meant to explain.

Critical drug interactions with mood stabilizers

Mood stabilizers interact heavily with common medications. Check the interaction profile before adding a new drug to a regimen that already includes one.

Lithium interactions

• NSAIDs such as ibuprofen, naproxen, and indomethacin reduce renal lithium clearance and push serum levels toward toxicity. Where an NSAID is necessary, check the lithium level five to seven days after it starts.
• ACE inhibitors and ARBs can reduce lithium clearance, so monitor serum levels.
• Thiazide diuretics increase lithium reabsorption and raise serum levels.
• Osmotic diuretics such as mannitol increase lithium clearance and lower levels.

Valproate interactions

• Lamotrigine: valproate inhibits lamotrigine glucuronidation and roughly doubles its levels. Reduce the lamotrigine dose by about half and watch for diplopia, ataxia, and tremor.
• Phenobarbital and phenytoin: valproate raises the levels of both, which risks oversedation.

Carbamazepine interactions

Carbamazepine is a potent inducer of CYP3A4 and other cytochrome P450 enzymes. That lowers levels of oral contraceptives, so advise backup contraception. It also lowers warfarin, lamotrigine, and valproate levels. Phenytoin and phenobarbital in turn reduce carbamazepine levels.

How to use the list in your practice

The template is built for use at the point of care. Five steps put it into a prescribing and documentation workflow.

1. Keep a copy at the point of care. Put a laminated print in each consulting room, or pin one to the EHR workstation. The dose range and the indication are then there without a mid-consultation lookup.
2. Set expectations at initiation. Walk the patient through the generic name, brand name, indication, and dose range. That standardizes consent and sets a realistic titration timeline, from lithium reaching steady state in a week to lamotrigine taking several weeks.
3. Flag monitoring on day one. Note the baseline tests and the ongoing schedule in the chart on the day you prescribe. Set the reminders then, because the first missed interval is usually the one nobody scheduled.
4. Cross-reference before adding a drug. Check the interactions section when a patient needs an antidepressant, an analgesic, or a blood pressure medication. Where a major interaction exists, change the new drug or tighten the monitoring.
5. Adapt it to your population. Add your own monitoring intervals or local prescribing guidance. Store the customized version in the shared template library, so every clinician works from the same one.

The template also creates an audit trail. It records when the reference was consulted, what was reviewed with the patient, and what monitoring was ordered. That matters during a clinical audit, or if a prescribing decision is questioned later. From there the next document is usually a bipolar treatment plan, which sets out the agent chosen, the target dose, and the review date.

How Pabau keeps prescribing and monitoring in one record

A printed chart on the wall, baseline labs in a scanned PDF, and the next monitoring date in a personal calendar is a common setup. The three are not connected, so a lapsed interval tends to surface at the next appointment rather than before it.

Practice management software like Pabau holds them together. The prescription, the baseline values captured at intake, and the monitoring dates sit on the same patient record. Recalls surface the next lithium level or metabolic panel when it falls due, and the chart shows what was ordered and when.

Digital intake forms replace the paper baseline sheet, so weight, blood pressure, and lab results arrive already in the record. Every subscription includes the full feature set, so a solo prescriber gets the same monitoring tools as a multi-clinician group.

Keep mood stabilizer monitoring on schedule

Pabau holds each prescription with its baseline labs and monitoring dates on one patient record. Recalls surface a due lithium level or metabolic panel before the interval lapses.

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Conclusion

Choose the agent by the episode you are treating, then let the monitoring schedule follow the drug rather than the appointment calendar. That is most of the discipline in mood stabilizer prescribing, and it is where errors tend to appear.

The trade-off worth remembering is that the best-evidenced agent often carries the heaviest monitoring burden. Lithium has the strongest evidence and the narrowest therapeutic window. Lamotrigine needs almost no labs but cannot treat acute mania. The chart does not make that call for you, but it puts both halves of it on one page.

Download the chart, add your own intervals, and store it where every prescriber in the practice can reach it. Book a demo to see how Pabau keeps prescriptions, baseline labs, and monitoring dates on a single record.

Continue your research

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Need consistent wording for mood and affect? Mood and affect list supplies the descriptors that keep mental status entries comparable from one review appointment to the next.

Tracking side effects on a stimulant or a mood stabilizer? ADHD medication side effects monitoring sheet shows the monitoring format that works for any medication where tolerability decides whether the patient stays on it.

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