I’m getting put on lithium and was wondering what to maybe expect. I know its different for everyone but I just want to know what others experience on it was.
I’m on it. If I take it right it gets rid of my mild highs and lows. I’m also on an antidepressant. If I leave it off for 5 or 6 days, I tend to become paranoid about some things that have been/are happening in my life. Or maybe obsessed. It gets rid of my obsession with other things.
My mind is less chaotic on it. Thoughts go over + over + build up over the day - one Dr called it peseveration - when not taking it,…
Though my Dr says it doesn’t make sense, I like to leave it off about 2 days out of the week. I don’t take a ‘theraputic dose’.
I was on Lithium - Eskalith to be precise. This was years ago. It was not very effective for my manias because I cycle through my moods rapidly. Also it gave me an under active thyroid. I may bring up Lithium to my new doctor, because it is supposed to ward off depression rather well. It mixes well with Depakote, so we shall see. Blood tests are required and you should drink plenty of water with it. Good luck - Its a pretty good overall medication for many people.
wasnt kurt cobain on lithium?
i have never tried it before, yet i am willing 2 try new medication
I haven’t noticed any side effects.
I’ve been taking lithium for a few years, currently at 900mg daily, along with celexa and welbutrin. (Schizoaffective) For me, it dampens the highs and lows and keeps the frenetic frenzy of mixed episodes at bay. The last time I let my meds lapse for a month or so, I ended up cooling off in a crisis center for a weekend with self inflicted lacerations and lost my job because it can take me months to straighten out again. Though it’s not a wonder drug, I depend on mood stabilizers.
As far as side effects go I have been pretty lucky. The only side effect that I’ve noticed is from drinking alcohol with it, tolerance becomes far lower than norma and it’s easy to get sick. It may make my memory a little worse, but it’s so bad as it is that it’s hard to really tell. by the way do not drink alcohol with it anyway, preserve your liver and kidneys and keep your equilibrium. All my side effects are from the antidepressants and the recent addition of abilify.
Yup, I’m on 1200mg of Lithium now. When I first took it, a few minutes after I felt quite good and my outlook was improved. But then it sort of petered out. I’m actually suspicious of how much of an effect lithium has on me…I can’t be sure it’s really doing much of anything. I do know that when I come off Lithium I feel like crap and can’t speak properly, etc.
Lithium will give you hypothyroidism. I am now taking Synthroid to combat this. If you go on Lithium be sure to have your thyroid (TSH) checked after a month or two on the medication.
So I remember you a few weeks back saying you started abilify. Did this ever work with getting rid of your voices?
I’m only up to 5mg per day right now, it’s hard to say if it’s effective yet. They have been less active the last two weeks, but not completely absent. I’ll have to keep watching to see if it’s due to other factors, or an effect of the drug.
If they disappear with another step or two in dosage, then I suppose i’ll know. one thing it definitively HAS done is improve my mood. Hasn’t touched all of my negative symptoms, but it’s nice to be laughing more and feeling kind of decent again. I noticed the mood change after about a week and it hasn’t disappeared. I can also draw again, which is great because it is one of my best self theraputic tools. I’ll try and remember to make a thread about it later tonight and keep it updated with progress.
Thanks for all the reply’s . I’m also on ability and It helps some with the voices but they are not totally gone.
how long have you been taking abilify?
Lithium was the first mood stabilizer I was put on. I didn’t take any AP. I still take 2700mg thats 3 900mg capsules 3x daily. You’d think my Li level would be high but I get mine checked regularly. I tried going off lithium, since I thought the AP was doing all the work. I realized I was too charged to sleep without lithium so I went back on. On it 11 years now. Tinkering with it placed me in loony bin a few times.
I’ve been on it for about 6 months now.