[PadawanSkywalker]

Hi Guys, any one know the best alternative to Lithium for mood stabilizer...saw videos from reputed international psychiatrists that it has many side-effects like weight gaiin,thyroid problems, frequent urination, loss of bladder control..which i have experienced in my case..anyone know wat to do with this lithium intake?

[FluffyDinosaur]

I'd say it depends in part on what your biggest issues are. Do you tend more towards mania or depression? In the latter case, lamotrigine might be worth a try. As far as whole-spectrum mood stabilizers go, there are alternatives like Seroquel, but they're not exactly without side-effects either. Unfortunately, none of the meds are. In terms of side-effects, lithium is actually one of the milder ones, at least for me it was. It's less likely to cause weight gain than many other meds, especially anti-psychotics like Seroquel. Maybe you could see if your lithium dosage can be reduced a bit?

[Werewoman]

Originally Posted by PadawanSkywalker

Hi Guys, any one know the best alternative to Lithium for mood stabilizer...saw videos from reputed international psychiatrists that it has many side-effects like weight gaiin,thyroid problems, frequent urination, loss of bladder control..which i have experienced in my case..anyone know wat to do with this lithium intake?

I think you might be doing yourself a disservice if you don't at least try it. I was adamant I would not take lithium as well, and they convinced me to try it when I was IP last year.. If I had known it was going to be the magic bullet that could control my mania, I would have done it 20 years ago.

And call me cynical but I listen to both of my pdocs and I have a cousin who is a doctor and I discussed it at length with him as well. If the doctors on you tube don't show proof of their credentials such as, oh, I don't know, a medical degree, you might want to look elsewhere if an irresponsible doctor gets on you tube and spreads misinformation about a very effective drug used successfully for decades.

Yes, you have a couple of things to be aware of when taking lithium. Don't raise or lower your sodium level (quit eating hot dogs) a lot, and DRINK WATER.

I'm sorry. I've just seen too many people hurt taking bad advice.

[Soupe du jour]

FluffyDinosaur wrote pretty much what I would have written. Your main mood issues play a role in doctor's determinations for meds. And Werewoman makes a good point that Lithium can be some peoples' wonder med. If it doesn't give many side effects and works great, then there's little bad to say.

Medication effectiveness and desirability definitely varies. I waa on Lithium for a combined total of almost six years and it wasn't my med. I have hypothyroidism and kidney damage that further drives that home. I most benefit from carbamazepine ER (Tegretol XR) and quetiapine ER (Seroquel XR) most. The latter is not ideal for my bloodwork, but the lesser of evils, for me. I do also take 100 mg lamotrigine (Lamictal). That's a small dose, but zero side effects (for me) at that dose. I'm not sure of its current benefit, but it sure got me out of a depression some years ago, when on Lithium and Geodon.

Wishing you luck in finding a good med (or mix) as quickly as possible.

[FluffyDinosaur]

I would add that the mentioned side-effects are only potential side-effects. They happen in a certain subset of patients. When you hear the entire list like that, it sounds very scary. But it's extremely unlikely that you'll experience all of those effects. In addition, there's usually only a handful of (very) common side-effects, and then a long list of less common or very rare side-effects. I usually only consider the common side-effects when choosing a new med.

Most people only experience a few side-effects, and it's different for everyone. Thus, it's a matter of trying the med, and then deciding whether or not the benefits outweigh the downsides for you. If there are too many downsides and not enough benefits, then you quit the med and try another.

In the case of lithium, it's important that your blood levels and things like kidney function are regularly monitored. That way, problems can be detected in time to intervene and side-effects can be minimized by keeping your lithium levels at the lowest possible therapeutic level.