Pharmacology · Class
Mood stabilizers !
Medicines that treat mania and prevent new episodes of bipolar disorder. Lithium is the classic one; valproate and others also act here.
Updated 2026-11-01
What they are
A clinical group rather than a chemical one: lithium, some antiseizure medicines (valproate, carbamazepine, lamotrigine) and several atypical antipsychotics are used to control mania or bipolar depression and to prevent relapse.
Mechanism of action
Mechanisms differ. Lithium's is not fully known; leading ideas are inhibition of inositol monophosphatase (dampening phosphatidylinositol signalling) and inhibition of GSK-3. Valproate also lowers brain inositol and inhibits GSK-3, besides its antiseizure actions.
Target: Inositol monophosphatase and GSK-3 (lithium; proposed)
Drugs in this class
Others in the class
- Valproic acid (valproate)
- Carbamazepine
- Lamotrigine
Test yourself
Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.
Why do thiazide diuretics and NSAIDs raise lithium levels?
Lithium is handled by the kidney like sodium; drugs that reduce renal sodium or lithium excretion make the kidney retain more lithium.
Which endocrine problem is most typical of long-term lithium?
Hypothyroidism; lithium is concentrated in the thyroid and inhibits hormone synthesis and release.
What causes polyuria and thirst in a patient on lithium?
Lithium reduces the kidney's response to antidiuretic hormone, sometimes up to nephrogenic diabetes insipidus.
Educational content on how drugs work; not a prescribing guide and no substitute for a health professional's advice. No doses are given.
Sources: DailyMed - LITHIUM CARBONATE tablet (DailyMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine), 2026); Goodman & Gilman's The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics, 14th ed., ch. 19 (McGraw Hill, 2023).
Spotted a mistake?We are always improving for the community. Tell us what is wrong and our team will review it.Report a mistake
Representative model, for educational purposes only.