If you had to chose between taking lithium or an atypical, which would you select and why?
i thought they stopped using lithium, wasn’t it used a while ago?
presumably it had bad side effects
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Yea as far as I know it’s still used pretty often. I may be able to get away with taking it but I’m afraid I’ve heard the same thing about side effects. Supposedly it kills your thyroid. Damages kidneys, liver, makes your hair fall out. That’s why I want to know if anyone has tried it.
Lithium anyone? How was the weight gain? Any sexual side effects?
I’d choose whatever medication worked best to eliminate my symptoms and allow me to live a normal healthy life. That being said, I experience far less side effects on lithium than on AP’s. I’ve only been on AP’s for very short periods of time though, but found their side effects to be horrible.
I gained around 5 lbs while on a low dose of lithium, but my weight fluctuates quite a bit naturally, so it’s hard to say if it was due to the lithium for sure. I experienced no sexual side effects. If I recall correctly, I experienced a bit of dry mouth while on lithium, but nothing near as severe as I experienced while on AP’s.
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Thanks @Bipolar_Bear. I’ve been on antipsychotics for a year now and I can tell you that it hasn’t been a very productive one. My doc says I can come off of them but if I get manic she will have to put me on lithium. I’m worried because I’ve heard people say it made them fat, their hair fell out, kidney failure you name it. I appreciate your feedback