[jesusplay]

I'm reading google results, I have to get my blood check weekly? If it's too high in the blood I have to go to the hospital? Can cause a host of problems to organs ?

I'm currently on 150mg lithium 2x a day. google results are freaking me out and my anxiety is bad, I think I'm gonna stop this **** and it's only the second pill I've taken.

It is ultimately up to me which meds I take, right? i can refuse?

[RLG2]

I was on lithium at one time. And yes, you have to get your blood checked, although not always weekly, just more frequently until they find a dose that works for you. My psychiatrist was not good about checking my blood levels and I did end up in the hospital. That was no fun whatsoever and needless to say I switched psychiatrists and am no longer on lithium. There are other drugs that are mood stabilizers. I happen to be on geodon. Anyways, I hope that helps.

[Blue_Bird]

I'm on 900mg of Lithium a day, from my experience the blood work is more frequent in the beginning and when adjusting the dose to get you stabilized. It's been a great medication for me. I wish you luck with whatever you decide, I understand being anxious about starting a new medication though, especially when learning about things like Lithium Toxicity.

[nbritton]

Originally Posted by jesusplay

I'm reading google results, I have to get my blood check weekly? If it's too high in the blood I have to go to the hospital? Can cause a host of problems to organs ?

I'm currently on 150mg lithium 2x a day. google results are freaking me out and my anxiety is bad, I think I'm gonna stop this **** and it's only the second pill I've taken.

It is ultimately up to me which meds I take, right? i can refuse?

For now, disregard the google results. Unless you have renal impairment (i.e. problems with your kidneys) you likely are not taking enough to need blood monitoring. In high doses the lithium plasma concentration within the body can potentially reach toxic levels. It's simple to quickly check for warning signs of toxicity without a blood test, one method is to simply hold your hand out in front of you and relax it. If your hand begins to

you may need to have your blood level checked. I'm not sure where you came up with weekly monitoring, I've gone years without needing to have my level checked. Additional signs and symptoms can be found here: Lithium toxicity: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia.

It's ultimately up to you to decide what you want to do, but I would give it a chance. Some people take 1800 mg a day, at your dosage you probably won't even have side effects. Lithium is just an element, it's the most "natural" of all the pharmaceutical treatments. Stick with it a few months, even if you only feel comfortable taking one of the 150 mg capsules it is still worth it.

[Alokin]

This is an interesting post. I have never taken lithium, but I never really thought that there was a reason to be upset. You do have legit worries, I am not saying that you don't. I guess I am surprised I have never heard about you concerns in the past.

[unlived]

You have regular blood tests in the beginning until you get to a stable dose. Then it's months between tests. At your dose you're not in any danger of toxicity so try not to worry. When you get say between 900-1800 then you need to be aware.

[PrairieCat]

Originally Posted by jesusplay

I'm reading google results, I have to get my blood check weekly? If it's too high in the blood I have to go to the hospital? Can cause a host of problems to organs ?

I'm currently on 150mg lithium 2x a day. google results are freaking me out and my anxiety is bad, I think I'm gonna stop this **** and it's only the second pill I've taken.

It is ultimately up to me which meds I take, right? i can refuse?

Don't freak out! When I was on Lithium, I had my blood level checked about every three months, on a regular basis. If it isn't right, the doctor will change the dosage, that is ALL. Please NEVER stop taking a psych med unless you talk with your doc first, as it could be dangerous for you to just stop. If you have any bad side affects, contact doctor right away and doc will adjust or change to a new med. DO NOT LET THE INTERNET SCARE YOU - NOT EVERYTHING THERE IS RIGHT OR TRUE FOR EACH PERSON. Each patient is different. Your anxiety is probably high because it is all new to you and you are not stable yet. The Lithium is to make you stable. Lithium is the most commonly used drug for Bipolar. Any other questions, I'll be glad to reply.
PrairieCat

[FaithlessCat]

I made the same mistake as you and read up online about Lithium BAD mistake.

Yes it's important to educate yourself about anything that interacts ( for instance its advised not to take any Non steroidal anti inflammatories or Ibuprofen ) and to make sure you keep you salt intake steady.

Absolutely important to drink at least 2 litres of water a day.

I have been on it for about 6 weeks now. I started on 400mg had my bloods checked after 2 weeks, then upped to 650mg and having bloods checked next week ( 3 weeks after increase )

It is a real pain in the *** to take but for me personally it is working and now I have stabilised and am drinking my water I am feeling so much better.

Meds are like everything else in life what works for one doesnt for another and lets face it, if they work people are less likely to post about it online thats why you mostly only read the bad stuff online.

If as you say you are getting your bloods checked weekly then you are in very very good hands.
it takes a long time to suffer from toxicity it doesnt happen over night, my pharmascist told me that she has never had a pateient with it and the only one she heard of was because they hadn't had their bloods checked in 6 months.

Please try not to worry ( impossible I know ! ) give the lithium a shot and it might surprise you.

[Yoda]

If your pdoc does blood level checks regularly you should be okay. In my opinion though only every three months is insufficient. My pdoc was going for months between checking blood levels and I became toxic. I had explosive diarrhea, vomiting and itching over my whole body. She had to admit me inpatient and my level was 2.9 (therapeutic level is 0.5-1.2). Many people do quite well on it though.

[jesusplay]

I took some xanax and kinda calmed down, more after reading the responses. pill 3 taken.

new med jitters, lol

Glad you were able to calm down and that others were able to address your lithium concerns. The title of your post caught my attention -- I've always known urgent cares as offering illness and injury sorts of things, sports physicals etc. So it surprised me this way, and ran counter to my (kind of amusing) personal experience a few years ago. So here's the thing, the big question...

Urgent care's modus operandi, is their specialty in "one-off" sorts of visits. Since mental health things don't exactly tend to "get fixed" in that way, do they refer you to a regular provider? Somewhere where on-going care is done? (Or have they themselves expanded into doing on-going care??)

(Ok, the story. A few years ago, I'd moved and was getting rather desperate to find someone for my med management. Referred in circles, finally someone suggested this place (regional chain, I didn't know anything). Not only could they take me, they could see me now?? Wow. So I went in, paid and got sent to one of the rooms. Then the doctor/nurse/whatever came in. As soon as they heard, "BP"... "Back out ya go, here's your money. We don't deal with things like that here". Lol. Anyhow, just looked it up, and apparently, the do "deal with things like that" now.)

So yeah, how do they handle that? (The on-going nature of handling BP, that is.)

[nbritton]

Originally Posted by Yoda

If your pdoc does blood level checks regularly you should be okay. In my opinion though only every three months is insufficient. My pdoc was going for months between checking blood levels and I became toxic. I had explosive diarrhea, vomiting and itching over my whole body. She had to admit me inpatient and my level was 2.9 (therapeutic level is 0.5-1.2). Many people do quite well on it though.

2.9? Holy crap, you have to tell me more about this. What dosage did they have you taking, did your kidneys crap out or something? Fasting?

[Yoda]

Originally Posted by nbritton

2.9? Holy crap, you have to tell me more about this. What dosage did they have you taking, did your kidneys crap out or something? Fasting?

I don't recall what dose I was taking but my pdoc had not been increasing the dose much. My kidney function is and was normal although I don't often drink enough fluids. But I am consistently underhydrated so the lithium levels that were initially tested would have been similar to my normal fluid intake.

[cashart10]

They just upped my dosage to 1800 mg and I am at 1.2 which makes me soooo nervous about toxicity. Lithium is the best drug for me though so as long as I am closely monitored it is worth the risk. I hope it is working for you now.

Originally Posted by Yoda

If your pdoc does blood level checks regularly you should be okay. In my opinion though only every three months is insufficient. My pdoc was going for months between checking blood levels and I became toxic. I had explosive diarrhea, vomiting and itching over my whole body. She had to admit me inpatient and my level was 2.9 (therapeutic level is 0.5-1.2). Many people do quite well on it though.

Just have to really watch that lithium level, particularly if there are other meds and health issues involved. My husband became toxic even with regular monitoring. His level was 3.3 and his kidneys were shutting down. Had dialysis and was in intensive care for over a week. Very unusual case. This is NOT a usual event on lithium. In fact, every last doctor who treated him had never seen such a severe case of lithium toxicity. No permanent kidney damage even after all of that.

[Hope-Full]

jesusplay - I have/had the same concerns, as I just started lithium tonight. I appreciate all the info from everyone. My biggest concern is the water/urination, but I'm hopeful that on the 300mg/day dose it won't be an issue?

Originally Posted by Hope-Full

jesusplay - I have/had the same concerns, as I just started lithium tonight. I appreciate all the info from everyone. My biggest concern is the water/urination, but I'm hopeful that on the 300mg/day dose it won't be an issue?

That issue does take a bit of adjustment, but in the scheme of things, having to drink more water due to constant thirst and then having to pee more often isn't really a big deal side effect wise. Just takes some adjusting.

[Crazy Hitch]

I'm on 1000mg a day. Try not to worry too much. It is a good mood stabilizer.

[callio3]

It worked for me, but then my body broke out in a horrible rash with welted hives up to 5 inches. Remember: NOT TYPICAL RESULTS! I wish my body would have agreed with my neurotransmitters, because NOTHING else has stabilized my moods.

[jesusplay]

I'm up to 1200MG a day and my level was .5 last week test.

I'm depressed as crap, but since going up to 900 I haven't had a mixed episode like when I started and weaned off lamictal.

I'm still depressed out of my mind, mania is hardly a concern of mines.

[Hope-Full]

Thanks for the input everyone. I'm quite anxious about the weight gain potential, too, as I'm recovering from an eating disorder, that's not an area I'm strong enough to handle, yet.

How long did it take to notice any differences, either with side effects or positive results?

[jesusplay]

Originally Posted by Hope-Full

Thanks for the input everyone. I'm quite anxious about the weight gain potential, too, as I'm recovering from an eating disorder, that's not an area I'm strong enough to handle, yet.

How long did it take to notice any differences, either with side effects or positive results?

my right toe spazes occasionally.

[Anika.]

I also had lithium toxicity at 900mg, with weekly testing. After that the testing was every few months. I also had my thyroid and kidney function tested at regular intervals. That seems to be the norm here.

Aside from watching your water intake, alcohol intake, as well as food intake (no crash diets etc) Do not take NSAID's like advil with lithium, in case the prescribing Dr, or pharmacist did not tell you. They cause the lithium level to rise.

Lithium worked ok for me some of the time. But I became toxic more than once ( tho not as extreme as the first time) and had quite a hard time, with levels either too low, or too high, was hard to find a balance. I have other health issues that may have played role there. The side effects for me definitely outweighed the benefits.

Just familiarize yourself and someone close to you of the symptoms of toxicity, so you know what to watch for. I knew the symptoms, but at the time was so intoxicated from the lithium I could not tell, I knew I felt very weird but my thought process was so altered. My good friend knew and recognized it right away as I couldn't even walk a straight line. Luckily she took me to emerge right away.

It's always important to be aware of the risks of medications, just try to ease your mind a bit. The more knowledge you have the better it may go.

Is your pdoc aware that you are recovering from an ED?

I am also recovering for an ed, which I think also played a role in my not being able to stabilize a proper lithium level. One thing is that if your metabolism has been damaged/altered, you will metabolize meds differently just like food. I had a good dietician who went through this all with me, I had failed with so many meds not just for that reason, but I bet it is often overlooked.

It took about a month or two to notice and benefits for me. I have started and stopped lithium many times, always had about the same wait time and effect. Side effects tho, maybe a week, if that. I had very noticable tremors the entire 7 years I took it, even below the therapeutic level, that was pretty instant, along with nausea.

Best of luck to you

[jesusplay]

lithium is a salt, drink more water to keep the level from getting too high?

[Trippin2.0]

Originally Posted by jesusplay

lithium is a salt, drink more water to keep the level from getting too high?

Its actually a metal on the periodic table.
Sure it has to jump through some hoops to become salt like, but its not salt, that's why we struggle to metabolize it.