Mental Health Clients

Is there a blood test available to determine Bipolar I disorder, or is it diagnosed then treated with lithium and or other drugs then testing done?

[HFHS MD - RG]

Dear Carolyn,

As with other mental illnesses, Bipolar Disorder are diagnosed by history and their presenting symptomatology. Blood tests are done to rule out any physical causes of the symptoms like hypothyroidism, etc. If all the tests and the baseline blood work up including complete blood count, liver function tests, and electrolytes are normal, physicians begin treating bipolar disorders with mood stabilizers like lithium or valproic acid (depakote).

With mood stabilizers, blood tests are done to guide physicians as to the optimal dosage of the mood stabilizer an individual should have. This is because people absorb the mood stabilizer medications in different rates.

Sincerely,

HFHS MD - RG