How do you know when a med is working?.

Hi Guyz,

With several meds in most of our cocktails, how can we know what works and what doesn't.

When I started Lithium, the Pdoc wanted me off Lamotrigine.
Just to know if he Lithium was working. I don't think it's a valid reason.
If I have to go back to the Lamotrigine, it will take two months.
At the end, maybe the Lamotrigine is really not working. How to know?.

Right, I have suspicions, not certainty.

I know my lamictal isn't working because it was added last and nothing has changed.

i only know that my med is slightly working because it sends me to sleep lol

I knew when my lithium started working because I no longer felt and expressed the out of control rages I had prior, I felt like I could think properly, read, and write again, and I felt like more like myself. I know the bad of lithium, but it really has helped stabilize me out of those awful spirals I was in.

It's tricky when more than one med is added or one is added/taken away at the same time because we don't know which of those actions are making us feel how we are feeling now. So I'm sorry I don't have the answer. But from my experience, lamictal made me crazy with dysphoria and very angry at everything around me. I was pissed of people's very existence! And I tried lithium a few yrs ago and it did work for awhile but I got toxicity from it. I even drank lots of water, got labs done like you're supposed to and monitored my salt intake. I don't think we can control what it does to our kidneys though. Good luck and maybe consult with your pdoc for a better answer!

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It really is so hard to tell what is going on with taking so many medications, I'm skeptical as well.

I wish we knew what's really going on.
I don't think the doctors know either. They just prescribe what has worked for others.
Yeah, the Lithium is a beotch, but is working for me for now.
I'm at a relative low dose. 600mg.
After what Gina and Rx said, I'm tempted to start lowering the Lamotrigne.
Come to think of it, it hasn't worked for my depression lately.
Althought it was a different brand than the one I've used for years.
Now I'm on the previous brand. I'm gonna give it another month.

I don't really know it's working. But I get hot flashes when I'm coming on to it.

On lithium, I'm able to catch myself a lot more that I did before. In the past, I would just fly off the handle and apologize later. Now, if I get upset, it's quick and I catch it before it goes past the point of no return. And if I come across a trigger, some of them don't bother me anymore.

Never mind, never mind, never mind.

My entire life has been one hot flash. I know the lithium's working when I'm no longer compelled to build a tactical nuclear weapon in the garage.