[The Black Dog]

I just started a Lithium regiment and i have to tell you - IT IS AWESOME. i really wish I tried this years ago. Was only suggested it now because it helps with suicidal thinking. Wow.

[Soupe du jour]

What great news! I hope it serves you well long-term!

[*Beth*]

Excellent! So it's helping with SI? What about depression?

[The Black Dog]

I was experiencing a constant slight low mood and it took care of that too! I feel normal - the first time since forever.

[wolftrap]

So glad to hear Lithium is working for you! I too have bipolar I and have had the same experience.

Originally Posted by The Black Dog

I just started a Lithium regiment and i have to tell you - IT IS AWESOME. i really wish I tried this years ago. Was only suggested it now because it helps with suicidal thinking. Wow.

Glad to hear you are reacting to the lithium, only about 33% of people do (there is a great study happening that shows there is a difference between both groups of people and they are using said difference to try and find an analogue that would work for everyone).

From my experience on lithium, stay hydrated. I can't stress this enough. Make sure you get your 2l of water or more a day. Also make sure you are not limiting your sodium intake. Low sodium diets are not recommended if you are on lithium. I also find that my tremors get much worst if I'm low on sodium.

Do your best to take your lithium at the EXACT same time everyday (it's not the end of the world if you are late but it will help you greatly to have a schedule and to try to maintain it). This has to do with trying to keep a steady serum level. Related to keeping a steady serum level is making sure you eat, especially when you are feeling under the weather and don't have much of an appetite. I track my calorie intake using an app and it has helped me greatly by allowing me to see when I'm not eating and putting myself at risk of worsening my side effects.

Also stick to your bloodwork appointments, it's important that your serum levels be monitored. Lithium is a narrow index drug and the gap between a therapeutic dose and a toxic dose is very narrow. Can't stress this enough, stick to your bloodwork appointments. For me (and I believe it's common practice) they require that I have my blood drawn 12 hours after I dose (give or take 30-45 minutes), it ensures that they record serum levels at the same time for every test in terms of the lithium's half life in your body.

It's still all so fresh to me, I feel as if I could write a book about the experience. I hope you keep seeing results from your lithium. If you have any questions I'm positive the community will be more then happy to answer them to the best of our knowledge.

One finale small piece of advice, if you consume caffeine in your day to day life DO NOT make major changes to how much you consume. Caffeine intake lowers your serum levels and caffeine withdrawal will cause them to spike. So if you plan on making huge changes like quitting coffee, you should do so gradually and only after having discussed it with your doctor, they may want to keep a closer eye on your serum levels (it would be their call to make).

[MickeyCheeky]

Truly Happy to hear that!

[The Black Dog]

Thanks for the tips! Especially about the caffeine. I do change how many cups of coffee i drink from day to day. I have noticed very infrequently a dip in my mood from time to time.

Originally Posted by The Black Dog

Thanks for the tips! Especially about the caffeine. I do change how many cups of coffee i drink from day to day. I have noticed very infrequently a dip in my mood from time to time.

You can still have your coffee, just try to have it consistently. Say you have one at breakfast and one at lunch. As long as you keep normally having those same two cups at about the same time everyday all is well.

Keep us posted, we all want to read about your success story as it progresses.

[*Beth*]

How's it going with the lithium, Dog?

[The Black Dog]

Thanks for asking! Lithium has been great. Suicidal thinking drastically reduced pretty much immediately. Mood has been very good with the occasional dip during the day. And i would like to know if lithium helps with anxiety because it seems to help with that too. I am reducing my Gabapentin to give my kidneys longevity and my anxiety is still super low.

[*Beth*]

Originally Posted by The Black Dog

Thanks for asking! Lithium has been great. Suicidal thinking drastically reduced pretty much immediately. Mood has been very good with the occasional dip during the day. And i would like to know if lithium helps with anxiety because it seems to help with that too. I am reducing my Gabapentin to give my kidneys longevity and my anxiety is still super low.

That sounds outstanding! If it helps with anxiety, what a huge bonus. I was checking around online a bit and found this video. Probably nothing new to you, but some good info.
Does lithium help anxiety? - Blog

[The Black Dog]

Good Video - Thanks. I haven’t really found anything about anxiety and lithium. I just hope it keeps doing what its doing.

[*Beth*]

I hope so, too! Most people seem to be helped a lot by lithium. I wish my pdoc would prescribe it for me. She's a champion of Lamictal. Lamictal is good for stabilizing mania, but does very little for depression and doesn't seem to do anything for anxiety.

[Werewoman]

I am taking 450 mg a day of lithium. It was prescribed after I began having mixed episodes. It's my understanding that lithium is to control mania. I do a ketamine infusion once a month and that keeps my suicidal ideation and depression under control.

I totally agree. Lithium has literally saved my life.