1. Phobias Slideshow Pictures
2. Depression Tips Slideshow Pictures
3. Bipolar Disorder: Do You Have Extreme Mood Shifts?

Medical Author:

Roxanne Dryden-Edwards, MD

Roxanne Dryden-Edwards, MD

Dr. Roxanne Dryden-Edwards is an adult, child, and adolescent psychiatrist. She is a former Chair of the Committee on Developmental Disabilities for the American Psychiatric Association, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, and Medical Director of the National Center for Children and Families in Bethesda, Maryland.

View Full Profile

Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

View Full Profile

While medications can be helpful in reducing some of the specific mood symptoms of BPD, they by no means cure the disorder. Given the high number of mood problems that characterize this illness, practitioners take care to try and minimize the number and doses of medications in order to avoid exposing the person with BPD to numerous side effects. Using multiple medications at the same time, also called polypharmacy, can also put the person at risk for attempting to use their supply of medications to commit suicide.

Despite these risks, careful use of medications can help achieve some symptom relief in certain people with BPD. Examples of antidepressants include medications that affect the activity of the chemical serotonin in the brain (serotonergic medications) like fluoxetine (Prozac), sertraline (Zoloft), paroxetine (Paxil), citalopram (Celexa), and escitalopram (Lexapro). They are often used due to the combinations of high effectiveness and relatively low occurrence of serious side effects. Other antidepressants that practitioners frequently use to address mood symptoms for individuals with BPD include antidepressants that impact the activity of serotonin as well as epinephrine and norepinephrine, like venlafaxine (Effexor) and duloxetine (Cymbalta), as well as those that affect the activity of dopamine in the brain like bupropion (Wellbutrin). Older antidepressants like tricylics (for example, amitriptyline [Elavil], imipramine [Tofranil]) and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (for example, tranylcypromine [Parnate]) are not used as often as they used to be due to difficulties with possible side effects and the possibility of overdose.

Must Read Articles Related to Borderline Personality Disorder

Anxiety Anxiety is a feeling of apprehension, fear, or worry. Some fears and worries are justified, such as worry about a loved one. Anxiety may occur without a cause, ...learn more >>

Bipolar Disorder Dipolar disorder is a mood disorder characterized by symptoms of both mania and depression. The cause of bipolar disorder is not known. Treatment of bipolar dis...learn more >>

Depression Depression is a mental illness that affects 19 million Americans annually. Causes are genetic, environmental, and biological. Symptoms and signs include weight ...learn more >>

See the Entire Borderline Personality Disorder Topic Guide »