The first week or two on Lithium can be rough. Even at 600mg I was having severe nausea. That subsided after a couple weeks. One thing you need to do is make sure your intake of water is solid. It can cause very serious kidney problems. This is especially true if you plan to undertake any strenuous activities. Keep yourself a water bottle and drink up. Also, make sure your doctor checks your kidneys/thyroid and lithium levels. No skimping on this either.

Overall, Lithium has the most documented efficacy of any “mood stabilizer” on the market. It has been around for a very long time, but they do not like to use it because of the long-term issues associated. A significant amount of people who have taken lithium long term ended up with thyroid problems. Thyroid issues themselves cause mood instability. However, if you have tried everything else and you do not feel better. Have a go for it! Also, to be honest, it even works in unipolar for some patients as an augment. I wouldn’t be to hung-up on the diagnosis. The fact is you need relief.