Hi MusicLover. I'm sorry that the Lithium affected your kidneys. I was eventually taken off because of kidney issues, too.

Only you'll figure out if the 5 lb gain is a foreshadowing of more weight gain to come. I will say this, I can easily lose and gain 3 lbs in one week (or even 1 day) only because of the time of month or other relatively innocent factors. Because of this, I try not to panic that quickly. I hope that over the next few weeks you'll see if such weight gain actually continues.If so, then I hope you can find a more weight friendly option.

What's weight friendly for some isn't for others. I think Geodon and Latuda tend to be weight friendly for most people. Abilify was weight friendly for me, but I read others say it wasn't for them. I'm not sure you'd want to try a 1st generation, or if they would even be useful for you. They are more for people where mania is the biggest problem.Some of those are weight friendly, but have other serious potential side effects. Geodon, Latuda, and Abilify are often good choices for either bp1 or bp2 and I believe have a comparatively friendlier side effect profile. But not perfect!