[Little Me]

Started on Lithium yesterday and Lunesta. Does this mean I'm BP? It doesn't really matter but I don't want to be flattened out in mood. I won't take the stuff if that's what it's going to do. I've had so few days, minutes, hours over the past year when I actually feel good/great I won't do it. So many lows and feeling like I was at the end. How can people be worried about any hypo mania? Is it something to worry about? I would be worried more about the depression.
If I don't believe in what I'm doing with treatment I won't do it. I'm scared of that.

[BlueInanna]

Lithium is good at treating depression. I don't have flattened mood from it. Just try it and see.

[~Christina]

First off who prescribed the Lithium? What kind of issues where you having that caused you to seek out help? Did the Doctor explain the medications to you? Did the Doctor discuss your diagnosis I take Lithium I have no problems with flattened mood.

I hope you get some answers

good luck

[hamster-bamster]

Lithium does not flatten me. It makes me not spend, which is very nice and frugal.

[Confusedinomicon]

I dont have problems with lithium either.

Blue, lithium is not typically prescribed for depression. Its a mania check.

[hamster-bamster]

As far as I know, Lithium is the only true MS, working on both poles of the moods spectrum.

[Eliza Jane]

Originally Posted by Confusedinomicon

I dont have problems with lithium either.

Blue, lithium is not typically prescribed for depression. Its a mania check.

That is not what my doctors have told me. Lithium is often given to non-bipolar severely depressed people because it is so helpful with depression. In fact, before I was correctly dx'd I was rx'd it for that reason.

I know it is good for mania too, though. I'm not disagreeing with that part.

Best,
EJ

[Confusedinomicon]

Maybe off label, but on the label it is considered an anti-manic.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000531/

It's also considered a "Prophylaxis" for depression, meaning it's not used to treat depression itself, but to prevent future episodes of it.

[Little Me]

Originally Posted by BlueInanna

Lithium is good at treating depression. I don't have flattened mood from it. Just try it and see.

It's just been 2 days on it but I've slept a few hours each night and that might be helping me feel like I can get out of the deep hole. Good day today too. Feels so much better to not feel so bad!
Thanks all for your comments. Just a misconception I guess I had about the Lithium. Scary for me though.

[hamster-bamster]

Lithium occurs naturally in water but its concentration varies, and communities whose municipal water supply happens to be rich in Lithium have fewer suicides. That is nice to know. I guess it is along the lines of prevention.

[Eliza Jane]

Originally Posted by Confusedinomicon

Maybe off label, but on the label it is considered an anti-manic.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000531/

It's also considered a "Prophylaxis" for depression, meaning it's not used to treat depression itself, but to prevent future episodes of it.

Fair enough, but I don't want people to equate "off label" with "ineffective". It can be a great med for BP II and unipolar depression. I suspect that if it were currently patented by some pharmaceutical company they would be working hard to get it "on label".

EJ

[hamster-bamster]

Originally Posted by Eliza Jane

Fair enough, but I don't want people to equate "off label" with "ineffective". It can be a great med for BP II and unipolar depression. I suspect that if it were currently patented by some pharmaceutical company they would be working hard to get it "on label".

EJ

I cannot agree more with the bold part.

[Trippin2.0]

Originally Posted by Confusedinomicon

Blue, lithium is not typically prescribed for depression. Its a mania check.

I was prescribed lithium for my perpetual suicidal ideation... From my understanding, most only have the ideation when depressed, so it would make perfect sense to prescribe for depression.
Little Me, I didnt like the side effects and subsequently quit all my meds. With these things tho, you never know until you try... Good luck

[Little Me]

Thanks, T2.0. On a low dow and only 3 days now so haven't experienced any side effects. Mood was already on a slight upswing before I started so I can't equate it with the Li dose either. I will just give it a try though.