[dejavu65]

I am finishing week 1 on Lithium for the 1st time. I only take 300mg two times a day. I just feel like nothing all day long. I want to sleep all the time too. Just nothing positive since starting it. Is this normal.

I am waiting till week 4 to start back on depression meds (effexor). Will that help? Can I make it to week 4?

I hate this feeling.

[Nahla66]

Lithium takes at least 6months untill you can feel a difference. Also the level of it in your blood will tell a lot. I thought I might as well have been eating candy untill my level was right for me. I continued to take my depression meds untill I was on lithium 1year and my level was 1.0 then I was weaned off lexapro and feel fine with just lithium. My advice is hang in there and just take it a day at a time. In my experience lithium has helped me immensley but I had to give it time.

[dejavu65]

Originally Posted by Nahla66

Lithium takes at least 6months untill you can feel a difference. Also the level of it in your blood will tell a lot. I thought I might as well have been eating candy untill my level was right for me. I continued to take my depression meds untill I was on lithium 1year and my level was 1.0 then I was weaned off lexapro and feel fine with just lithium. My advice is hang in there and just take it a day at a time. In my experience lithium has helped me immensley but I had to give it time.

Thanks ... just not used to this blah feeling. I usually feel like doing things.

[Confusedinomicon]

http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Sec...ontentID=20820

NAMI is a great source with helpful information. This is a page about lithium and common questions that come up. It's a good read.

[BlackPup]

It's probably being off your depression meds that are making you feel flat
For me lithium helps my depression and definitely helps against my suicidal urges. Agree with Nahla, give it time - it takes a while to work. Wishing you lots of

[dejavu65]

Originally Posted by Confusedinomicon

http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Sec...ontentID=20820

NAMI is a great source with helpful information. This is a page about lithium and common questions that come up. It's a good read.

Thanks ... Looks like Sedation is a side effect. Hopefully it will go away. I just doze all day right now. And cant seem to remember things like did I take my meds already or did I feed Sandy the dog yet? Just annoying things.

[dejavu65]

Originally Posted by BlackPup

It's probably being off your depression meds that are making you feel flat
For me lithium helps my depression and definitely helps against my suicidal urges. Agree with Nahla, give it time - it takes a while to work. Wishing you lots of

Funny you say runover ... feels like that.

I do feel like I need the Effexor back. PDoc wants to make sure there are no major side effects from Lithium before having me on Effexor again.

Suicide still heavy on my mind ... but my obsessed side has not seen it standing over there yet so no major problems. So if I can keep the two of them separated til the Effexor comes back into play I will be ok with that.

[BlackPup]

for me the sedation wore off gradually.... I still needed a bit extra sleep for a few months even after the dopeyness went away.
Try not to drink too many soft drinks cos the increased thirst with lithium can lead to weight gain (also some people get increased hunger) just keep and eye on what you are eating and drinking.

Lithium took a while to work for me. I did feel tired, and had tremors, I did get toxic on the first week of taking it, but once it was lowered I did a lot better. I does take quite a while to adjust to it.

I've been on it for five years, and I am not always compliant. However after all this time, when I do go off it for a while and then back on I don't have to go through ll the adjusting to it anymore except the tremors which do settle down.

Lithium has been a fairly ok drug for me, I still cycle a lot but I think that's just my nature in this illness. Once you get to a point where it is working it can be a truly good med for a lot of people. I'd encourage you just to hang in there and give it some more time. It could work out great for you in the long haul.

For me now, the effects of lithium seem subtle, I can't "feel" it in my body like I can with the other meds. The side effects do tend to wear off with time. I never feel sleepy, or just blah anymore, but I did the first little while. I hope this will be the case for you too.