[jpb4815]

I am on the list to see a new PDoc, my therapist asked me this morning if I have ever considered Lithium. What have some of your experiences been with lithium?

[bioChE]

It gave me what is best described as "gravel stomach." Basically pain and a really strange tightening sensation that I couldn't handle eventually. A lot of people have good experiences with it, however. It is the gold standard of mood stabilizers.

[BeyondtheRainbow]

Lithium was great for me. It helped a lot with rapid cycling. My only issue was repeated toxicities and I had to go off it after my 3rd. I did try again last winter when I was so sick and nothing was working but at the low dose that I can take without risking toxicity it didn't help that time.

It's worth a try. Just be ready to drink a lot of water; your body needs it.

[franz kafka]

Lithium is great for me. No side effects and it mellows out my moods (when I behave...).

[Deeplyhurt77]

It made me a zombie

[HALLIEBETH87]

I know it helps some people but it was not good for me.

Constant upset stomach, acne and destroyed my thyroid. Took a years to get my TSH back to normal

[ezogyo]

It definitely has its pros and cons. For me personally I don't prefer to be on it for a long term. It really helped with controlling my hypomania and brought me out of depression(which I never thought it would). However, it started to make me nauseous, cognitively slowed me down, made me forgetful. Also frequent blood check. You will find a lot of mix reviews. So only way to find out is to try it, like I did, as you can get off the meds whenever you want(through your pdocs advice). Who knows you might tolerate it well

[chailatte16]

Originally Posted by jpb4815

I am on the list to see a new PDoc, my therapist asked me this morning if I have ever considered Lithium. What have some of your experiences been with lithium?

Lithium is not everybody's cup of tea. I have taken it for most of the last 17 years and I think it works for me. I do also take Seroquel and Klonopin with it. I have tried Depakote, Tegretol, Lamictal, Trileptal, and many AP's as well over the years. I don't have many side effects. I hardly have a hand tremor. I don't experience cognitive dulling.

I don't have any issues with getting blood work done. (My pdoc requests it quarterly.) It is important to check blood levels to make sure the dose is therapeutic and not toxic. It also important to check kidney function and thyroid function. I have only had 3 experiences with toxic levels of Lithium over the years. All of those were mild and reversible with a dosage decrease.

[jacky8807]

Lithium pulled me out of a mania turned mix hell

However after a while I turned into a zombie. I have heard it's dose dependent though. I was on 1200

[Coffeee]

I've been on doses from 1800 inpatient to 150 tapering down over a year. It made me zombie like and very tired at the higher doses. Less tired but still sedated at lower doses, and some cognitive dulling. As a result of the tiredness and sedation I gained 15lbs. Also gave me acne. I did not have any tremors and it flattened my mood nicely, didn't care about anything and it was impossible to ruffle my feathers on it. It also pulled me down out of mania nicely.

[MBM17]

I've only been on it a month and a half. I've had no bad side effects except the constant thirst.

[Wander]

Lithium has been great for me for the most part. I have been on it for nearly 5 years. It calmed me down as I used to be wild and out of control in my behaviour when in episodes or unwell due to PTSD. This may have saved my life as I had many suicide attempts before Lithium and only one minor one after.

It has not however stopped me going into severe mixed states or becoming very depressed. I get hypomanic less often though and have only briefly touched mania once since Lithium. My dose has ranged from 750mg-1250mg, the higher dose bringing me to the toxic end of the therapeutic range. I am at 750mg now and have no tremors or any other side effects. I do drink a lot of water though but thats ok. The one issue I have with it is that it impacts on my thyroid function and I have to take medication to combat this.

[Spaceyspace]

It's really helping me. Stabilizing both mania and depression. I was on it years ago but stopped taking it, then went on a hellish merry-go-round of other meds, none that worked this well for me.

[ComfortablyNumb5]

Lithium was a mess for me. Talk about being in the bathroom ALL DAY! And then I got the shakes really bad and toxicity. I had to be on thyroid meds for years after because it messed me up pretty bad. Never again!