Lithium and Fine Motor Skills

Wondering if people have/are having any similar experiences with Lithium seeming to affect fine motor skills. I have noticed this mostly while playing guitar (something i genuinely love to do, have been doing for thirty years, etc, etc). Lately it just feels as though my hands have slowed right down, almost like having to think real hard to move someone else's finger or something.

Is this something others have noticed (or am I just getting old?). Also does anyone have any suggestions regarding what to do about it (I probably can't stop taking it). Does it pass?

Cheers

Hi,I had the same problem while on lithium, I noticed my typing (which I'm quite good at) and basically used to do for a living slowed down dramatically... then I lost words (for a lack of a better explanation) my excellent memory was suddenly shot to hell and if that wasn't enough, the tremors started... and they got real bad, at 1 stage, I couldn't button my daughter's school shirt Since quitting, my hands work fine again, except words more often than not, look wrong, and this confuses and frustrates me, as it was NEVER a problem before... eg. Today, the word analyze had me in a tizz cos it just looks wrong... very frustrating.

My brother would flip if he's guitar hands slowed down, I suggest you consult your pdoc and get it sorted.
Goodluck

Trippin I have had no tremors yet but as your brother would be I am a petty concerned about this. Thanks for your advice.

Cheers

Yes, my doctor said that I will experience hand tremors due to the lithium, but it should go back to normal with a lesser dosage. Also your thoughts will be slower depending on what else you take as well, but again, will return to normal with a lighter dosage.

Dr Skipper a lesser dose wasn't a match for the mood swings. Currently its 1800mg a day and i am kinda hoping that isn't an extreme dose... although it seems like a bit when you think of it.

Another option if you want: lower your lithium dosage, and add depakote. Depakote and lithium often work really well together, and by combining them, you can be on lower doses of both medications, and therefore have less side effects.

Just an idea.

Wow... I think 1800 mg is a pretty stout dose of lithium. I'm a 6 foot 200 lb guy, I take 1350, my levels are always dead on 1.0. But I guess everyone metabolizes at their own rate.

I also suffer from hand tremors, mainly when I'm tired. . It becomes difficult to read a book because I can't turn the pages. I have to brace both arms when I'm using a tool like a screwdriver my hands shake so much. Thankfully, I don't have trouble playing my bass (it's my second source of income after SSDI),though I gues I have slowed down anoth or two, particularly myright hand, though I had attributed this to age.... I do have trouble gathering my thoughts and I will cause long periods of silence during conversations, which makes me feel like a total dumb ***, though it improved a great deal after I lowered my Seroquel dosage, thank God!

Just another example of bipolar disorder, the gift that keeps on taking!

"Maturity is simply a better
grasp on cause and effect"

Oh, Jesus christ I don't hope so - I am an artist and have just started it. I do feel a bit of pricking in the fingers, but they don't tremble. I heard that you can get medications for hand tremor, but I'm not sure it'll work for your problem

I'm on lithium and have the same symptoms described here (tremors and clumsy fine motor skills). Talk to your pdoc about whether the mood stabilizing effects of the higher dose of lithium outweighs the negative symptoms. FWIW, I also need to be on a hefty dose of lithium to get my levels above 1.0.

I'm just starting lithium so idk if I "count" for this, but I figured that all of this was just be being depressed recently. I'm only on 450 because I'm just starting (3rd week)... is it possible that's side effects, or could it just be depression?

This is a very effective combo against mania, God bless my previous p-doc. But I got severe tremor from Depakote. I had had no tremor with Lithium alone (1500mg daily) and when Depakote was added, got severe tremors. I then scaled down Depakote from 1000mg to 500mg: there is some improvement but still visible tremor. It makes me feel very self-conscious.