Pharmaceutical treatment of bipolar depression. Evidence from clinical guidelines and treatment recommendations

Treatment of bipolar depression requires complex treatment decisions in daily routine care. The best evidence for pharmacological treatment is given for quetiapine and with limitations also in off-label use for lamotrigine, especially in combination with lithium, carbamazepine and olanzapine. Effectiveness and recommendation of antidepressants in treatment of bipolar depression remain controversial because of insufficient data. Initially, in depressive episodes a phase prophylactic treatment should be initiated or (if already existing) optimized and more severe episodes should be treated with the substances described before. In case of non-response, the combination of lithium and lamotrigine or antidepressants in combination with lithium, antiepileptics or atypical antipsychotics may be necessary. If depressive episodes occur in the course of pharmacological treatment with prophylactic agents, combination therapies of different substances, even with antidepressants, are necessary. In case of treatment-resistant depressive episodes, complex treatment strategies (e.g. combination therapies and MAO inhibitors) should be considered.