As I was titrating up, it was more often... I can't remember how often, I was in the hospital when they put me on it and my memory is hazy. I do know that once it got to 1.0, which was the level we were aiming for, I got tested less often, about every 3 months or so. Lithium never worked to stabilize my mood though, at any dose or any level.

I started the thread on kidney issues. If I had shown signs of toxicity they would have for sure tested me sooner, but the first time I tested in the toxic range it was just a routine test, I didn't have any symptoms except a slight kidney problem that only showed up on urine test, so it was a complete surprise to everyone.