antidepressant for rapid cycler type 1 bipolar

hi a friend went psychotic taking 250mg of effexor, 1200mg seroquel and 800mg lithicarb. new dr took him off the effexor and he improved dramatically then had trouble with his parents and went on a self-harming binge and is now in hospital for being suicidal. The hospital has put him on lexapro does anyone know if this is safe??? he took effexor for 5 years before new drs said it wasn't safe for his condition - he hasn't been delusional since coming off it!!

Actually lexapro is one of the prefered anti-depressants for people with Bipolar disorder.
In general, the problem is that in a small percentage of Bipolar people, antidepressants cause them to become manic, thus in most cases making sure the Bipolar patient has enough mood stabilizer is a priority.

Nobody can say how people react to certain drugs. But it seems that the stragey is correct since your friend is already on a mood stabilzer. The antidepressant will help with the depression, sucide impulses and self-harming, but they need to be aware of any signs of mania while giving him the Lexapro. Since he is in the hospital, they can observe that.

Thanks for your reply. I wasn't sure if they were doing the right thing cause he was not psychotic for the first time in years after coming off effexor recently.

He loves Lexapro only side effect he got was being very dizzy and thats gone. He gets out of hospital tomorrow. No sign of mania!