[jlock4507]

Reading about the side effects. If you have been on Lithium, what has been your experience with it?

Thanks

[faerie_moon_x]

I was on Ltihium for about a year. It was working at first then seemed to stop or taper out. I started at 300mg and was up to 1200mg at the end. Then I kept forgetting to take it until I forgot completely. (I'm terrible about remembering my pills, I even bought that special pill box and everything....)

Anyway the main thing is to drink a lot of water. I was thirsty all the time. But it is also important to drink water to help your kidneys. Lithium is primarily a salt, so it can be hard on the kidneys. Make sure you go in for your kidney test regularly, (it is a blood draw.) I'm sure you doctor went over that with you.

Next, because I was drinking so much, I was going to the bathroom a lot. I was even having to get up in the middle of the night, which is not normal for me.

Lastly, I was having slight tremors to the hand. It was enough to be noticeable, but not enough to interfere with my daily routine.

When I started on 300mg it seemed to smooth my cycle. I was doing great for about 3 weeks, then I hit a new cycle. So they upped me to 600mg. That didn't seem to help, so then it was 600mg twice a day. But I was still feeling speeded up all the time. So... I don't think it was the right med for me.

[Tosspot]

i loved lithium!!!!! i did have a little shakiness the first week, talk to your doc about the water/salt ratio in your diet. evened my moods miraculously!
sad part was that it shut down my thyroid, make sure your having labs done early in therapy.

weird side effect: all chocolate tasted like it had a hint of coconut. (of course my pdoc thought i was crazy!)

best of luck - if i could take it i would!

I get slight hand tremors, nausea, breakouts. I've been on lithium for six years. Unlike most people I don't experience being more thirsty, making it more important that I try to drink enough water. I hardly drink enough water and still have the issue of going to the bathroom more frequently. I did notice that when I was taking extended release that all the side effects were pretty much muted.

I have been toxic once, from too high of a dose. It was quickly fixed with discontinuation for a while. It is very important to have your blood work done, to make sure your kidneys and thyroid are functioning properly. I have not had any problems with that so far.

Also a lot of people experience weight gain, lithium for me has been extremely kind, I have not gained any weight.

I still have episodes, and I am on another mood stabilizer as well. Lithium usually keeps my episodes from being too extreme one way or the other. But not always.

[ladyjrnlist]

Aside from 50 more pounds, obvious hand tremors and a thirst from hades, Lithium actually has helped me quite a bit. The side effects are worth it to me anyway.

[Trippin2.0]

The 1 great thing lithium did for me, was diminish my suicidal ideation BUT... I had aweful hand tremors, seriously, i could not for the life of me button my daughter's school shirt in the AM. I had to give up eyeliner coz i couldn't apply it without poking my eyes, had to ask my BROTHER to pluck my eyebrows! And, AND... I was emotionally numb and my memory was shot to hell. My pdoc's solution? More meds. Thanks but no thanks, I've thus discontinued all my meds. Hope you have good experience tho, goodluck...

[tnlibrarian]

Lithum was the second thing my doc tried me on and as long as I drank plenty of water it didn't bother me. Unfortunately, I was one of the rare few (from what I understand it's rare) that did not respond to lithum at all. Let us know how it works for you!

[jlock4507]

i have now been on lithium for a week, and have not noticed any difference at all, no side effects, and no help for my bipolar symptoms. I understand that it can take 1 to 3 weeks to feel the full benefit of it, so i am waiting.

What dose are you on ? It does take a while to take effect. And if you were only started on 300 mg, well that's more than likely not going to be enough to get you in the therapeutic range. I think the average dose for therapeutic range is usually between 900mg and 1200mg. Sometimes a little higher

When do you have blood work drawn? That will probably be a better sign.

[jlock4507]

i am on 300 mgs for 2 weeks, then 600 mgs...my pdoc says she doesn't think i need a very high dose

Ya it really depends, I'm only 95 lbs and need 900 to reach therapeutic levels, they tried me at 1200 and I became very toxic. Couldn't walk in a straight line, felt drunk, vomiting. So it's good to go slow.

I hope it does work, it's a good drug if it does. I hate having to be patient and wait and see. I'm doing that right now myself. Just make sure your dr keeps up on the blood work.
Also my dr didn't tell me this, and I wished he had because I became toxic a second time. Do not take NSAID's like advil with lithium. It increases lithium levels.

I wish you the best of luck, it would be great if this works out with the timing of your new job as well!

[Moose72]

I'm on Lithium ER after having been on the regular version. I found it made me very tired so I take 1/4 the dose in the morning and 3/4 before bed. Otherwise, no problems.

[passionpearl]

Lithium was the first med for Bipolar they tried. Like so many others here, I was extremely thirsty, therefore had increased bathroom trips. I had hand tremors and weakness (couldn't pick heavier stuff up with one hand anymore). I also had a taste and smell change which was really weird. Imagine opening a bottle of rubbing alcohol and smelling it. Not the initial burning sensation in your nose, but the smell that comes after that. That's what most all foods smelled and tasted like. Cheese, chocolate, yogurt, many veggies. Therefore I lost weight due to my lack of interest in eating things that tasted that way.

Other than that...Lithium definitely helped my moods. Although I did have an emotional numbing effect. I wasn't wanting to self-injure, and I came out of the horrible manic phase I was in. Currently working with pdoc to switch from Tegretol XR to Lamictal. Good luck, I hope it works well for you.

[SunAngel]

I was on Lithium Extended Release and also the reg. Lithium Carbonate.

I was toxic on a very low dose. It made me really shaky and really, really confused. In fact, while I was on it, my husband wouldn't even let me drive.

I went to the pain center, driving myself, and they told me at a later appt. that I was very confused and they were worried about me driving home. The AH's let me leave that place and drive home without knowing what I was doing.

I never went back there again.

Lithium helps so many people. Just try it and see how you do on it.

Everyone reacts differently to meds.

xo