[12AM]

November 2015, my Pdoc put me on new meds, because the old ones didn’t work anymore. I was badly depressed and was put on 200 mg seroquel and 1000 mg depakote. They helped me to some level but didn’t help me with my suicidal thoughts so my Pdoc added 400 mg lithium. I went to a rapid cycle after that. After 8 months of that new meds combination there were no more depression, no more suicidal thoughts, no more rapid cycle and I went into manic episode so I stopped taking lithium since the beginning of July. At first everything seemed fine and I was okay with this manic feeling, but now I realized that I am on the way into a full-blown mania. I can’t handle my manic thoughts anymore and I started doing dangerous things. Is this just a normal cycle of having bipolar (I still need to do more research about bipolar since I was misdiagnosed before) or is this because lithium withdrawal? Did anyone else have experience with lithium withdrawal or at least know about it? I will meet my Pdoc next week and will absolutely tell him about this but any insight would be much appreciated.

[Coconutzo]

Lithium is like a cage and now the mania is free.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Years ago I was in a severe depression, put on lithium and my depression got so much worse ..... Suicidal ideation was through the roof. I stopped taking it cold turkey because I thought the medication was responsible for making me so depressed. Soon after stopping it I went full on manic.... Ended up in jail (long story) it felt like coming off the lithium caused me to have a more severe manic episode than I'd ever had previously. When I researched this, I found that it happens to some people. My doctors would argue that I simply went manic because I stopped the lithium, but I really believe the lithium withdrawl had something to do with the severity of the episode. Please be careful, watchful and report how you are feeling to a doctor. Keep us posted on how you are doing. Take care.

I took a brief lithium break and I went from 0-60 in less than a second. I would venture to say slight psychosis attached to the mania. Hallucinations and paranoia abounded. Needless to say back on lithium I went. NEVER want to feel that again. If I ever do go off lithium I will need to titrate down slowly or go ip. Sorry you're feeling like this noon. <3

[12AM]

Thanks for the insight and kind words everyone. I take lithium back. Nothing changes yet (of course), but I hope it will stop my manic mood from getting worse until I meet my Pdoc.

[Takeshi]

reasons-not-to-believe-in-lithium/

I like her, this psychiatrist is the reason that I'm off lithium right now. Don't miss the links in the comment section that links to "Lithium and suicide" too.

Please stay safe and take care of yourself.