med head from Lithium

Day two on lithium and I have severe med head, I think Christina put it best "I fell as dumb as a stump".

Other Lithium users out there, does this go away? Also can I have a beer or two on a friday night or will it mess me up. It is 200mg XR

Thanks
john

It never went away for me. I tried Lithium twice and both times I felt "dumb as a stump". The second time I tried it I was on it for 3 months before I gave up.

When I was on it I felt dumb as a post. I also felt absolutely zero emotion about anything.

I agree completely with bioChe and I was only on 150.

Boy I still feel stupid today, had to present in a meeting this morning and I just couldnt get the words out. I was pretty embarrased.

6 months and each month I just got, shakier, numb'r and dumber.


It felt like I could feel my brain cells dying. ;(


Lucky I quit and my brain was revived in time, being permanently stupid would have made me suicidal.

jpb, how is it going now?

I have woken up some, still having a hard time "spitting it out" per se.

Mine never went away while taking it. I'm sure it clears for most everyone else .

I remember alcohol affecting me a lot worse when on lithium. I was on vacation with some of my friends once and I threw up from two shots and had to stop drinking on lithium. I wouldn't mix alcohol on it tbh. And the zombie feeling just got worse for me the higher I went. I'll never take lithium again.

Never took Lithium, but from what I understand the effects are similar with Depakote. Depakote at 1500mg completely zombified me, hard time concentrating, hand tremors etc. so I know how you feel.

I can't tell you much about how I felt when I first started lithium because it was 24 years ago, I started on 2100 mg a day and I slept for two weeks straight, no exaggeration. A coworker who coincidentally started lithium around the same time reported the same experience. I began to enjoy all the other typical side effects only after I woke up.

I like that lithiums makes me feel a lil bit normal again. It helps me sleep and keeps me grounded.

I feel the dumbness right away. It's almost like Alzheimer's with me. I can't remember simple things. I also get nauseous and thirsty but the lithium helps me loose weight some how.

I can't fathom these depakote dosages I keep reading about... Over here the usual dosage is 400mg. Guess that's why we don't need blood tests while taking it.

I have finally settled into the effects of this drug. I am dumb for the first hour that I am awake but then it goes away. I am hypo as %$^$ right now though so sleeping is tough. I had gotten used to the monster dose of seroquel at night to knock me out, the XR does not do that.

That's good you finally settled. Do you notice that the benefits outweigh the side effects? I'm actually a little nervous about likely adding Lithium soon to my cocktail of meds.....especially after some of these posts. My pdoc said once some people adjust to Lithium, they feel better than they have in years and do not want to get off of it for that reason.

She assured me I always have the option of taking Lithium for just a few months or so before returning to just staying on one mood stabilizer (the Lamictal XR, which I'm already on) and AP if I'm more comfortable with that plan (once I'm stable). I guess I'll just have to see how I do. I'm realizing for the past 6 months or so, my meds have not doing enough for me at all.

For me Lithium didn't dull my mind. Instead it calmed my emotional state when in bad episodes. For example when in really bad mixed episodes I don't punch walls, drive like a manic while screaming or impulsively self harm now I am on Lithium. The horror feelings are still there but I am more in control. This has saved my life on several occasions. While stable I still feel a normal range of emotions and can think well. I guess it is different for everyone.

Lithium didn't dull me but it literally made my friend unable to hold a intellectual convo whatsoever. It was like talking to a child. She ended up getting toxicity and once she was off it, it was night and day. She was a whole different, better person. I also got toxicity from it. And alcohol may make you more dehydrated than usual with the lithium. Drink lots of water and remember those labs!! Some docs are lazy about ordering labs or don't remember so bring it up if you have to. Toxicity is serious stuff. My thyroid was messed up for awhile and my friend had to get dialysis from it!

So my first batch of labs came back and I was good, everything functioning normally and low level of Lithium in my blood. So my Pdoc decided to double my dosage, she noticed the hypomanic state that I am in. I have never cycled this rapidly before, I hope that it is situational(separation/divorce) and not a sign of things to come.