[jtassar93]

I had been on lithium 450mg 3 times daily for about 8 months and didn't have a single blood test. My meds were recently upped to 4 times daily instead of 3. My doctor told me I needed a blood test this time.

Is it because that's a lot of lithium to have in your system? Will I have to have them regularly now? I'm terrified of needles.

[BeyondtheRainbow]

Usually they test your blood during any transition and then about every 3-6 months as your body stabilizes. You also have to be aware of any signs of toxicity and request a level be drawn if you have any or if you are sick and dehydrated.

The levels are important because you don't want to get toxic. I have been 3 times and all were horrible. Twice at home laying in big puddles of my own urine while puking my guts out for hours and once I had to be admitted to the medical hospital b/c the levels were making me hallucinate and were very high so they had to flush my system and make sure my kidneys were ok.

All that to say you don't want to be toxic. But I'm afraid I'm not help with the fear of needles; they just don't bother me. Have you talked to your pdoc about this?

They do have a cream called EMLA (and probably some other names) that you put on I think about an hour before a blood draw and cover with plastic wrap and it numbs the area so you don't feel anything. I don't know if that would help, not feeling it combined with looking away, but that might help.

[jtassar93]

Thank you very much beyondtherainbow, I feel much better. So I should expect a few tests during transitioning and then every few months. That's not so bad.

[BeyondtheRainbow]

Yeah. I don't remember how long it took to go to every 6 months but I don't think it was very long once I was on a stable dose. You also need your kidneys and thyroid checked every 6 months so you get it all done at once.

I was on depakote at the same time which is also a "levels" med and my body refused to process that stuff normally so I had many, many lab draws. Everyone in the lab at my little hospital got to know me.

You can also reduce the poke by asking them to use a butterfly needle if possible. They are so tiny that there isn't a lot of feeling at all when they go in.