My Psychiatrist wants to prescribe for me as most of the ADs have stopped working. I would like to know if there is anyone on the Forum who has taken Lithium and what they felt about and how long they were on it.
View 6 Replies4 weeks ago I've begun taking lithium but still not feeling any difference- actually, my depression has been very bad lastly. How long did it take for lithium to work for you (in case anyone has actually taken it)?
View 12 RepliesI have been severely depressed for just over 8 months (first time in my life). My current drug regime is 300 mg Venlafaxine, 30mg Mirtazapine and 100 mg Quetiapine. I have had a very limited response to these drugs and am due back to see my psychiatrist week after next.
At my last appointment the psychiatrist said that our next option would be Lithium. I am not bipolar. I feel rather frightened by this but at the same time, am so desperate to feel better, I'm almost willing to try anything.
I'm wondering if I can just stop taking my 50mg a day..are there any withdrawals from stopping.
Thing is I've come to the end of my last lot, & cant get to see my gp for another week.!
I've only been on them for 4 weeks.
Just wondered if anyone had experienced delayed WD after tapering off an antidepressant, especially mirtazapine? I don't mean a few days, but feeling great for a few weeks and then suffering WD symptoms. I stopped mirt just over 6 weeks ago after a very slow taper and felt great for the first four weeks. Then a couple of weeks ago, I completely lost my appetite and have dropped lots of weight. No nausea, just having to force every morsel of food down me except for sweets which I can tolerate. I also have severe fatigue and restless legs. I do have stage 3 kidney disease and am awaiting the results of blood tests the doctor got done for me yesterday. All symptoms are indicative of a worsening kidney disease, but they are also WD symptoms. I personally can't believe WD could start suddenly on week five after stopping a drug, but just wondered if anyone else had experienced it?
View 4 RepliesI have been taking Naproxen for 1 month and I have started to feel depressed. I think that this could be one of the side effects.
View 1 RepliesMy doctor wants me to take Gabapentin for some disc fragments giving me pain in my back. I'm worried because the side effects say that the side effects are depression or suicidal thoughts. Has anyone ever had these type of side effects or problems in general with this drug? Did it help them with their back pain!
View 11 RepliesI've been on fluoxetine for 8 weeks. I had experienced frequent panic attacks and my doctor put me on 20mg a day. Initially I had all the usual side effects (although some of these could be the depression) - I lost my appetite and lost a lot of weight, I developed insomnia and had to take sleeping pills, and I just generally felt worse for the first month. Now I'm able to sleep at night without pills, I've stopped losing weight, I don't have panic attacks anymore and I usually feel ok. The only problem is that I've got an issue with grinding my teeth all day. It's starting to become very uncomfortable and annoying. It feels like my jaw is always clicking and popping, and often I have earache or a feeling of fullness in my ears. Is this a side effect that will go away after a while? It's been 8 weeks and I'm starting to think I might want to come off fluoxetine if this jaw pain doesn't go away.
View 2 RepliesI'm on the depo provera injection, and I've felt depressed. It's been a just under a month so far, so will this wear off or will it always be for as long as I'm on the injection?
View 1 RepliesHas anyone ever had problems with lithium and restless leg syndrome? I can't keep them still. I have been back on lithium about 2 months
View 1 RepliesI have complex PTSD and Bipolar Disorder 1. I was diagnosed in September 2013 during a manic attack and started medication regime: Lithium (225+450) and 300 mg Seroquel. Now, 2 years + later, my Thyroid is underactive due to Lithium and my Psychiatrist wants to change Lithium to something else.
My challenge: I start a new job next week (after being unemployed for 7 months and really need this job!) and a few weeks ago I went low on my Lithium (skipped a few morning doses and ended up in mixed episodes and had a spider-related psychosis!)
I am really anxious about one day changing my Lithium. I was wondering how long can I be on it before it will damage my kidneys like it is affecting my thyroid now?
Does anyone have any experience with this topic? I was told I have stage III kidney disease due to lithium use. Is there a likelihood that it can be stopped in this stage because it was caused by a medication, or will it follow the same course of progression as other causes?
View 1 RepliesAnyone ever developed Hyperthyroidism after coming off lithium?
View 1 RepliesFirst apologise for spelling and grammar I'm dyslexic.
I first decided to come off lithium because of wanting a child . I was now with a man I'm crazy In Love with and about to be married this summer .
Also found out though blood test the lithium was causing low kidney function to my one kidney.
Coming off was a breeze until a week after my last dose. My chest is so tight with anxiety I feel like I murdered someone and I'm running for life .
Massive sense of guilt & fear and panic. I'm not dealing well with anything.
The only thing that makes me happy and at ease is Richards unconditional love . And planning my wedding . Started a new job and may get fired due to my anxiety and hecticness . I'm all over the place racing thought . Clumsy can't remember anything . I was a fashion designer for many years now I've gone into teaching . And it's my first real course I'll be teaching .
Waiting to see my therapist again in a few weeks but this has had such a domino effect on me . I'm also not sleeping ! Two three hours if I'm lucky .
(assuming you don't have hypothyroid, some types of heart problems, or seizures, or a few other things)
Very affordable and probably safe in low doses. Also looks like it prevents Alzheimer if you take it early enough. Lots of promising studies about lithium, but also a lot of myth orotate being better than carbonate.
Lithium reduces how fast your brain can use epinephrine, the intense fight or flight chemical, so that you have a limit on how excited you get. Reduces those adrenaline surges you can get when very angry. You will still have the same opinions and think about the same things, but just won't feel the extreme stuff as extreme and won't think about the bad stuff as long throughout the day.
Carbonate might be easier on your kidneys than orotate, based on one rat study from 1979. Orotate might not be eliminated as fast, based on the same study. Orotate is not better in anyway other than being OTC in low doses, despite the online hype by people who know nothing about chemistry.
120mg of lithium orotate has 5mg of lithium.
120mg of lithium carbonate has 20mg of lithium.
Bipolar people take 100-160mg of lithium, as 600-1000mg of lithium carbonate and need blood tests to get the right blood concentration without overdosing.
A low dose of 5mg per day may prevent or postpone Alzheimers if taken early enough. More than that may be needed for an adult with anger problems. I read a report about someone overdosing from 18 orotate pills.
Lately I've been taking lithium (this will be week 3) I finally feel I am sort of seeing a difference. I can actually think now, understand things a little better, and overall I'm feeling good. But I need to know is lithium supposed to make your moods go up and down while you are still getting used to the meds? For examp. last week (which was wk 2) I was completely manic in front of my stupid coworkers. I had no idea until I was sitting on the bus to go home. Also I've been switching moods. Like from depression to mania....
View 3 RepliesI took a large lithium and valium (not my own medication) overdose about 30 years ago, I suffer from various mental and physical conditions and wondered if any of them could be attributed to that? Any insight greatly appreciated.
View 2 RepliesHave been on lithium now for nearly 1 month. I have now been put up to 600 mg in the hope of hitting that sweet spot. At the moment i am feeling no effect from the medication bar bloating. just wondering what you experiences are when you do hit that sweet spot ie the optimum amount.
View 2 RepliesCan someone tell me how to stop trembling on lithium as a side effect? My whole body shakes. I can stop
View 12 RepliesHi is any1 taking lithium with an antidepressant? I want to stay on the lithium bt desperately need to stop the mirtazapine.
View 27 RepliesMy son has been on this drug and lithium for six months after a manic episode and diagnosis of BP. I do not feel it has helped him at all. In some ways it has caused further problems as he developed cravings for foods with high fat and sugar content, he began to smoke which he hadn't previously, and then progressed to some cannabis. He has no willpower to resist these cravings and has put on loads of weight. He has also lost all spark and been very depressed despite antidepressant medication.
View 2 Replies