[1278]

I've been to three psychiatrists in the last 2 years (not out of choice, the first 2 flaked out on me), been on 10-15 different meds and even had ECT. Nothing has worked. I'm really skeptical of my doctor because she didn't even consider I was rapid cycling until I mentioned it and didn't even bother taking me off antidepressants until last year December when I had a serious mixed episode and tried to kill myself!! My head is spinning right now at the possibility of another medication going wrong and URGH!!! She says its up to me, but i don't know what to do.

[BeyondtheRainbow]

Lithium really isn't that bad----and I'm someone who had a pretty bad time with it (3 toxicities and some random issues). It generally isn't hard to tolerate as long as you drink plenty of water and keep up with your labs so that you don't get toxic. I was on it for 12 years and then again for a few months this winter and aside from this winter it always helped. That's why I had 3 toxicities; it worked so well that I kept choosing to try it again because it worked better than anything else. And when I say anything else I pretty much have been on everything.

I know that lithium felt scary to me. I remember being really anxious taking the first pill. But nothing happened that was bad and in a few days or a week I was feeling better. One thing that it helped me with a lot was that I was more able to articulate what I was feeling when on lithium which made it easier for them to diagnose me and figure out what might help.

Unfortunately the only option we often have is trial and error and believe me I know how hard that is. But if you keep trying you'll eventually find something that helps. I did and I'm one of the most treatment resistant patients my doctors have treated. I've not had a lot of stable time but I've had times I was doing well on a combination of meds. Even right now, I've had a constant episode for 14 months but 3 weeks ago went on the "last resort drug" and it is helping, although the extent is yet to be known. I don't think about what happens if it doesn't work because that leaves me pretty much completely without options but right now any response is good and I am getting at least that.

Again, I know it's really hard but chances are extremely good that you're going to respond to something and for many people that something is lithium.

[Keegan2015]

Lithium is the gold standard for BP treatment. I've been taking it for the past few weeks with mixed but mostly positive results. I'd say give it a shot.

[1278]

At this point the main side effect I'm worried about is weight gain (I'm 1.56cm but over 100kg so I'm worried about diabetes and hypertension), but I'm at the end of my rope so I guess I just have to suck it up and deal with it. I guess you can't have it all.

[BeyondtheRainbow]

That's understandable and very hard to do anything about--nearly all the meds that help cause weight gain. I am hoping very much that being off the very high dose of Seroquel I've been on for years will help me lose some weight but I have a feeling I'm just gaining more.

I have talked to my family dr about trying metformin (oral med for type II diabetes) which can help with decreasing diabetes risk/help with weight loss and once we're sure I'm stable on this new med I'll try it because at this point weight gain isn't something I can stop a med for but I do need to get my weight lower with my family history of diabetes.

It's tough but feeling better with the bipolar is the way to move forward with controlling weight with diet and exercise and tricks like metformin.

[Nammu]

Sadly the above posters are right, trial and err is about the only way to find out.
Hopefully being off the ADs will help.

[1278]

Originally Posted by BeyondtheRainbow

That's understandable and very hard to do anything about--nearly all the meds that help cause weight gain. I am hoping very much that being off the very high dose of Seroquel I've been on for years will help me lose some weight but I have a feeling I'm just gaining more.

I have talked to my family dr about trying metformin (oral med for type II diabetes) which can help with decreasing diabetes risk/help with weight loss and once we're sure I'm stable on this new med I'll try it because at this point weight gain isn't something I can stop a med for but I do need to get my weight lower with my family history of diabetes.

It's tough but feeling better with the bipolar is the way to move forward with controlling weight with diet and exercise and tricks like metformin.

I see you are also on topamax, has that helped with weight gain as well?

[BeyondtheRainbow]

I'm not on enough for it to help. I was very hopeful when I went on it (I started it for migraines) but I never was able to tolerate more than a tiny bit. It did help my mood a little bit though so I kept taking it at the tiny dose. Now that I'm on clozaril I'll probably come off it eventually if the clozaril continues to help.

Topamax isn't really supposed to be a great mood stabiizer and often causes confusion ("Dop-a-max") before it does much for mood or weight. Which is too bad since my feeling is that it could be a good drug if I could just tolerate more of it.

[1278]

Originally Posted by Nammu

Sadly the above posters are right, trial and err is about the only way to find out.
Hopefully being off the ADs will help.

Yeah, being off ADs has stopped my suicidal ideation in its tracks, I'll never take another AD again!!

[1278]

Originally Posted by BeyondtheRainbow

I'm not on enough for it to help. I was very hopeful when I went on it (I started it for migraines) but I never was able to tolerate more than a tiny bit. It did help my mood a little bit though so I kept taking it at the tiny dose. Now that I'm on clozaril I'll probably come off it eventually if the clozaril continues to help.

Topamax isn't really supposed to be a great mood stabiizer and often causes confusion ("Dop-a-max") before it does much for mood or weight. Which is too bad since my feeling is that it could be a good drug if I could just tolerate more of it.

Yeah it definitely lives up to its name of 'Dop-a-max' but I was hoping to take it for max a year and then wean off it since it really helped me so far for weight loss (I've been on 150mg for 3weeks)

[ComfortablyNumb5]

Lithium is one if the few meds that actually did work for me. Unfortunately I got toxicity and a friend of mine was on it as she got flaky as hell. Just plain bird brained. However her dose may of been too high because she got such bad toxicity that she had to have a transfusion. So it does have its negative side effects. But as long as you're getting regular labs done then they should be able to catch toxicity if it did happen. However, my pdoc didn't even glance at my lab results until I called the office and asked! I know docs are busy with loads of paperwork but huge mess up on his part.

Edit: I also developed a nasty tremor on it but it did go away when I stopped it. I couldn't even do a blood draw at school and everyone thought I was just really nervous. Embarrassing

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[SingDanceRunLife]

Lithium isn't as scary as it sounds. I was terrified of trying it, and did so only as a last resort. My body didn't like it much, so I went off it before it even reached a therapeutic level in my blood...but it's a godsend to many!

[Row Jimmy]

I'm on 1200 lithium and 1500 Depakote and neither has bothered me. Of course, it isn't for everyone and reacts differently to the other stuff floating around in our bodies. As many posters have suggested, it isn't all that bad. The patient efficacy is pretty high with lithium and the side effects aren't all that bad compared to something like Depakote (which can crush my pancreas at any time).

The medication has helped me tremendously but I have more work to do with sleep, mindfulness, and such.

I will say this - when I was diagnosed with BP, I quit drinking and I'm not a coffee guy so those acidities that sort of churn the stomach should probably be avoided, IMO.

[pirilin]

I've been on it for just a month. So far is working.
I'm at 600mg and blood lever is .6, whatever that means.
my Pdoc wanted blood every 3 month. No can do.
I wanted it every month. I'm gonna have my way.
Ready for the next one, paper in hand.

[1278]

Originally Posted by pirilin

I've been on it for just a month. So far is working.
I'm at 600mg and blood lever is .6, whatever that means.
my Pdoc wanted blood every 3 month. No can do.
I wanted it every month. I'm gonna have my way.
Ready for the next one, paper in hand.

I agree, if I go on it I would also prefer bloods done every month.

[BeyondtheRainbow]

The normal blood level they want is .6-1.1 Generally 1.2 is considered the borderline for toxicity. I think 1.5 is where toxicity starts although I think different drs. feel differently about that. I know that I was kept at 1.2 for a long time without any problems but I've also been kept at .4 and no higher after my toxicities. I honestly don't remember the numbers I had with toxicities, I just remember being really sick with 2 of them and the 3rd I had a lot of neurological issues that I ignored until I was hallucinating and in the ER and then they started asking about all the toxicity symptoms and I realized "OHHHH".

[raspberrytorte]

Lithium did not like me. My body couldn't tolerate it. It made me so weak I couldn't even walk to the door without feeling like I was going to pass out. And it made me really foggy. I couldn't get past 300mg. I wish it would have worked out though.

A lithium trial is a rite of passage for the circularly insane. You really should give in and give it a try.

I feel for you I have been on so many drugs myself and I always have side effects with all of them, I am currently taking Depakote 3,000 mlg, 3 to 5 mlg klonopin, And I am still not right, I want to switch doctors because mine won't listen to me, She is always trying to put me on latuda which I refuse, All she cares about is money and her kick backs from the pharmaceutical companies and her little samples she wants to hand out, I need to find a doctor that actually listens to me and cares about me, I have thought about lithium myself but have been scared like you, But I am scared of all new meds now since I have tried them all, I would give it a try and drink lots of water and excersise, Please let us know how it works out for you, You don't have any thing to lose and the drug has been around forever, Good luck

I've been on lithium for unipolar depression. It didn't help, but I didn't have side effects either. Not even toxicity, which is nothing short of a miracle because I was psychotic and refused to drink liquids (as I was of the opinion that would make me immortal, and given that I was suicidal, that was something I didn't want).

[1278]

Originally Posted by Rainne

I feel for you I have been on so many drugs myself and I always have side effects with all of them, I am currently taking Depakote 3,000 mlg, 3 to 5 mlg klonopin, And I am still not right, I want to switch doctors because mine won't listen to me, She is always trying to put me on latuda which I refuse, All she cares about is money and her kick backs from the pharmaceutical companies and her little samples she wants to hand out, I need to find a doctor that actually listens to me and cares about me, I have thought about lithium myself but have been scared like you, But I am scared of all new meds now since I have tried them all, I would give it a try and drink lots of water and excersise, Please let us know how it works out for you, You don't have any thing to lose and the drug has been around forever, Good luck

Thank you so much, I'm sorry you are struggling too finding the right pdoc is so hard and I'm tired of being pumped full of drugs. Goodluck to you too.

[Roaming_bird]

I had a bizarre side effect that I'm not even sure is listed -- lithium made me lose control of my bladder. I wasn't producing more, but when it was getting near full or full, it would just pour out. Horrible. Stopping Lithium made that go away.

If I could take it, I would, simply because of all the good things I've heard about it and the low chance of side effects.

I hate the med dance. I hope you are able to find the right drug combo.

[Trippin2.0]

I was expecting the usual, tremors, weight gain, metabolic syndrome, thyroid problems, and whatever else is common.


Besides the tremor and the apathy, I also got a bizarre unlisted side effect, STUPIDITY.


Took two years for my brain to heal but I still have the tremor, its probably permanent.


It did seem to really help me at first though, and it was nice to be free of my consistent suicidal ideation.

[ComfortablyNumb5]

Originally Posted by Roaming_bird

I had a bizarre side effect that I'm not even sure is listed -- lithium made me lose control of my bladder. I wasn't producing more, but when it was getting near full or full, it would just pour out. Horrible. Stopping Lithium made that go away.

If I could take it, I would, simply because of all the good things I've heard about it and the low chance of side effects.

I hate the med dance. I hope you are able to find the right drug combo.

Ok now THAT's scary!

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[BeyondtheRainbow]

I had some incontinence too; the worst was when it happened at work. Eww....I stayed on it though.

And now I'm on another med (clozaril) with a bed-wetting side effect and guess what happened???? ick. I get to use those fancy incontinence products and I still haven't found one I like yet. Annoying. But if the med works I'll deal with it.

Originally Posted by Roaming_bird

I had a bizarre side effect that I'm not even sure is listed -- lithium made me lose control of my bladder. I wasn't producing more, but when it was getting near full or full, it would just pour out. Horrible. Stopping Lithium made that go away.

If I could take it, I would, simply because of all the good things I've heard about it and the low chance of side effects.

I hate the med dance. I hope you are able to find the right drug combo.