[MusicLover82]

I went to see my pdoc today after bouts of depression, obsessive thoughts/excessive worries and bad side effects with Lithium. He reduced my Lithium and that is it. I asked him about the possibility of adding another antipsychotic and he said I was already on enough and he wanted to avoid all the side effects (e.g. tremors).

Dang. "Can't you just give me something to make me feel NORMAL???" I thought. I'm sick and tired of constantly going back to the pdoc complaining about this or that. I have occasional times when I DO feel normal (Praise Heaven!) but then so many times where I deal with the anxiety, obsessive thoughts, hypomania, depression, etc. I actually started feeling sorry for myself a little.

I see my psychologist for the first time in a while tomorrow. I can talk to her about my feelings then.

Diagnosed Bipolar 2 and OCD. Taking Lithium, Trileptal, Risperdal, Latuda, and Xanax.

[ComfortablyNumb5]

I soooo get your frustration!! Even though I'm the most stable I've ever been in awhile now, I still have mood swings and mild depression that just wreck me for days. I don't even know what "normal" feels like anymore! In a way I kind of just gave up!

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[pirilin]

Ok. Let's get serious about this lithium thing.
On what dose are you right now.
What were your side effects.
How long have you been taking lithium at this dosage.
The day they invent a pill that makes us normal big pharma will go broke.
Besides, I'm not sure I'll take it. It's tough enough facing the world being crazy.
Now, if I'm normal, they "the normals" will skin me alive.
Please, share about the lithium. I'm a consumer of it.

[pirilin]

Forgot to ask about your serum blood level. More important than the dose.

[MusicLover82]

Originally Posted by pirilin

Ok. Let's get serious about this lithium thing.
On what dose are you right now.
What were your side effects.
How long have you been taking lithium at this dosage.
The day they invent a pill that makes us normal big pharma will go broke.
Besides, I'm not sure I'll take it. It's tough enough facing the world being crazy.
Now, if I'm normal, they "the normals" will skin me alive.
Please, share about the lithium. I'm a consumer of it.

I used to be on 1200 mg. Now, I'm on 900 mg. I was having diarrhea and stomach pain (although, to be fair, I also have gastritis) along with just plain feeling weird (brief attacks of feeling lack of focus, restlessness, and some anxiety). I also have been getting flushed a lot. I'd say I was on and off the 1200 mg dosage for several months. My lithium blood levels are normal. My psychiatrist said that it was not toxicity, just side effects.

[MusicLover82]

Originally Posted by MusicLover82

I used to be on 1200 mg. Now, I'm on 900 mg. I was having diarrhea and stomach pain (although, to be fair, I also have gastritis) along with just plain feeling weird (brief attacks of feeling lack of focus, restlessness, and some anxiety). I also have been getting flushed a lot. I'd say I was on and off the 1200 mg dosage for several months. My lithium blood levels are normal. My psychiatrist said that it was not toxicity, just side effects.

Oh, and no appetite (another side-effect from taking too much Lithium).

[zijax]

'Normal' is only a setting on the washing machine

[pirilin]

Thank you for your reply. I'll elaborate more later. I'm glad you're feeling better now.

[pirilin]

Originally Posted by MusicLover82

I used to be on 1200 mg. Now, I'm on 900 mg. I was having diarrhea and stomach pain (although, to be fair, I also have gastritis) along with just plain feeling weird (brief attacks of feeling lack of focus, restlessness, and some anxiety). I also have been getting flushed a lot. I'd say I was on and off the 1200 mg dosage for several months. My lithium blood levels are normal. My psychiatrist said that it was not toxicity, just side effects.

I am on 600mg at the moment. Have tried 900 twice with bad results.
My blood serum level is .5 mek/L which means is working, but at the minimum of the concentration. I've wanted to take it higher to no avail. My stomach gets upset too.
My side effects are fine hand tremors, cold extermities and some muscle tightness at night and eczema. I'm getting a cream for that.
Lithium works for me and I'm sticking it out. Even if it messes my thyroid.

[DesigningWoman]

Normal adults aren't what I thought they were when I was a child. Of course my frame of reference were old Disney movies and the Brady bunch. Even in a very abusive home, I thought adulthood brought clarity, a sense of purpose, and responsibility. I thought I would know more, understand more, and deal with things so much better than as a child.
At 36 years old, I can say I don't know any normal adults. Not normal by that definition. Frankly I can't say I believe anyone fits my childhood definition or ideal.
Now I see the norm most adults live at is far from this put together and wise authority figure. The adults I know are riddled with self-doubt as they hurtle through life. They make giant mistakes, have lousy luck, and barely enough success to keep going. Those with mental illness and those without, All do continue on, dragging their emotional baggage behind them.