Questions to Ask Your Doctor

• What dosage of medication should I take, at what time of day?
• What are the possible side effects of the medication and what should I do if I experience side effects? (Ask for printed material on all medications.
• How can I reach the doctor if I experience severe side effects or a worsening of my symptoms? Be sure to leave the doctor’s office with an emergency phone number.
• How can I identify early symptoms of an episode and how should I respond to them? (For example, sleeplessness can trigger mania. Treat it as a new symptom and discuss it with the doctor. )
• How long should it take to feel improvement and what type of improvement will I see?
• What are the risks associated with treatment, and how can I recognize them?
• How long will it be necessary to take medication?
• If the medication needs to be stopped for any reason, how should this be done?
• How often will I see the doctor? How long will my appointments be?
• Is therapy recommended? If so, what type?
• Are there things I can do to improve my response to treatment?
• Are there activities I should avoid?
• If the medication isn’t helpful, are there alternative treatments? What are they?