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#1
Aug 12, 2013, 07:55 PM
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hello I am bi-polar and I was misdiagnosed for over 20 years. they put me on lithium about 6 years ago, and I thought I was doing well until I started linking a lot of side effects. I have told the doctors about them , but they said thru had nothing to do with the lithium. I finally started taking myself off the medicine, and I realize I need help knowing what I need to do. I became so frustrated with doctors that I looked up the side effects myself. I am really confused as to how and what I should do. The lithium helps me mentally, but the side effects are horrible. I could really use some help figuring out what I should do. I am not very good at this internet chat thing, as a matter of fact this is my first one in years. I am desperate on some insights of what someone like me is doing to get on the right medications, and getting the right help
discouraged and need advice cloudnine |
 awillz12
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#2
Aug 12, 2013, 08:34 PM
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first of all you need to find a pdoc who will listen to you. i refuse to go back on lithium because of the side effects. they are terrible for me and i will never take that stuff again. i realize it helps a lot of people a great deal but for me the side effects aren't worth it. but in any case if you don't have a pdoc who will listen then how can you help yourself? Pdocs can recommend but only YOU can decide whether a medication is working for you or not. and sometimes the side effects are just not worth it.
there's a million other mood stabilizers with less side effects - trileptal, lamictal, depakote (bad liver damage), tegretol, topomax.....just to name a few. also therapy such as DBT therapy can help you manage your emotions in addition to medication so you might have to take less or maybe even get off them alltogether. as for taking yourself off your medication, you need to be careful. i'm not sure whether lithium has bad withdrawal effects or not; i know SSRIs do. i'm not sure what lithium can do to you if you suddenly stop taking it. find a pdoc who will listen!!! There are so many out there who don't care about their patients' opinions and that's just wrong. welcome to PC and i hope you find the support you need here.
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Of course it is happening inside your head. But why on earth should that mean that it is not real? -Albus Dumbledore That’s life. If nothing else, that is life. It’s real. Sometimes it f—-ing hurts. But it’s sort of all we have. -Garden State |
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#3
Aug 12, 2013, 10:07 PM
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wildflower said it right, you need to find a pdoc that listens to your concerns and tries to work with you to find the best possible treatment for you. I would be careful just stopping your meds altogether because like wildflower said, there can adverse effects to abruptly stopping a medication. We live in a world full of pharmacological drugs, so there are other treatments that you may respond better to, but that's something that a good pdoc will help you figure out. I hope you're finding PC helpful, I myself just joined a month ago and it has been great for me.
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#4
Aug 12, 2013, 10:22 PM
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Yes! I agree with everyone, outstanding advice as always .
. You need a Pdoc that will actual listen and work with you and find a treatment plan that will work for you ! Welcome to PC
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Helping others gets me out of my own head ~ |
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#5
Aug 12, 2013, 10:26 PM
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Cloudnine-
What are the side effects bothering you that you have linked to the lithium? |
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This is an old thread. You probably should not post your reply to it, as the original poster is unlikely to see it.|
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