Lithium for Schizophrenia: Can It Help?

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So happy to no longer be taking this drug. Lithium caused me weight gain, really dry flaky skin and tremors in my hands. I was numb on it, showed no emotion whatsoever.

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I honestly feel that they should ban the use of lithium.
It’s very toxic especially at higher doses.

I was on lithium for years and it messed up my thyroid, hypothyroidism.

It also gave me diabetes and destroyed my teeth.

Horrible drug!

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I was on it for a week and nearly killed myself

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My Mom has been on lithium for years

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I tried lithium supplement 5mg, I had tremors in my eyes from it, never again.

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Btw Lithium supplements are illegal in Canada, idk how it got here from the US at first without inspection. The 2nd time I ordered I got a call from the border agency telling me its illegal in Canada and will be discarded.

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I take lithium supplement and it doesn’t do anything for me.

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At one time lithium was described as a “chemical lobotomy” :expressionless:

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It certainly felt like that in my brain.

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I was on it for many years. It did nothing for my mood disorder. It gave me very coarse tremors, which made it almost impossible to perform my job as an RN, and it gave me permanent hypothyroidism.

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I thought lithium has been shown to make positive symptoms worse. I have a friend with schizoaffective bipolar who takes it for the bipolar symptoms and she really likes it.

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I have taken an OTC version of Lithium called Lithium Orotate for several years. I take it on faith that it helps.

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The guniea pig I am, I ordered some to try out. According to drugs.com there is modeate interaction between lithium carbonate and zyprexa. If that translates to lithium orotate which is what I’m getting, it’s bad news. I’m optimistic though. Not on a high dose of zyprexa, so it might be alright.

Lithium orotate isn’t really a drug though. It’s just a mineral like magnesium and zinc. We depend on it in small amounts. I read a article that said there is higher prevelance of suicide in populations where there is little lithium in the water supply.

I’m excited to try this. I guess I’ll start out at 5mg a day and see how I get on.

I’d clear it with your doctor to be safe.

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Lithium orotate made me tired and feel like a zombie, more than APs.

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I slept all day on it, gained weight and had eyelid tremors.

Well…if I could do it for free I would ask what they think, but I don’t think my doctor knows anything about lithium orotate to be honest, only about lithium carbonate which is in their prescription stack.

I’ll be careful though and monitor myself for bad reactions. Not taking AP and lithium at the same time of day.

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In my case that might be good news. My mind is hyperactive and I struggle with insomnia.

Except for the tremors…don’t want that :no_mouth:

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Just be careful that it doesn’t kill your thyroid like others. Some lithium users got permanent thyroid damage and are on thyroid hormones for the rest of their lives.

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