[bizi]

I wondered if any of you take lithium with geodon?
Since the dose of lithium is low 480mg a day. I don't think I need to worry about it?
What do you think?
bizi

[bizi]

I guess no one takes lithium and geodon?
bizi
hmmmm

[Moose72]

Is there an interaction between the two?

[bizi]

I need to find out!
Tried looking on line but there isn't really much that I could find.
It is at a low dose 480mg a day.
But geodon is high 80mg twice a day.
bizi
I guess my question could also be.
Is it safe to take 2 antipsychotics?
I know that I should ask my pdoc these questions. I don't like her.
bizi
I should ask the pharmacist.

[franz kafka]

I've taken both before. Geodon made me suuuuuper sleepy all day, but I don't know if that has anything to do with lithium.

[bizi]

I am not sleepy with the geodon at this high of a dose.
Thank you for your comments/questions.
bizi

[BeyondtheRainbow]

If you are asking if you can still get toxic, yes you can. I got toxic on 425 mg of lithium, twice.

I was on it with Geodon but that was a long time ago and Geodon caused serious problems for me so I only took it for about 4 months or so.

[still_crazy]

from what I've read, it seems that lithium increases the toxicity of antipsychotics/tranquilizers. So, if you're doing OK on an antipsychotic, adding lithium might be OK, or you might trigger twitches, neuroleptic malignancy syndrome, etc.

Some drug combinations are apparently not OK. Lithium+Haldol has apparently been linked to serious brain damage and near toxic reactions. Maybe its because they high dosed haldol back in the day?

If you don't like your psychiatrist (seems to be a common problem, btw), do you think you could find a DO or MD who does family/general/internal medicine to prescribe? It'd probably be easier to schedule, less attitude from them, and you could get labs done at the same location, if needed. Just a thought.

Hope things work out well for you.

[Moose72]

Now that I think about it I did take Geodon (which translates to "down to earth"!) And I think it was with lithium. I got off the med after a few days as it made me feel like I'd eaten the sun. Or maybe been in a radioactive overdose or something. It was bad

[bizi]

Originally Posted by BeyondtheRainbow

If you are asking if you can still get toxic, yes you can. I got toxic on 425 mg of lithium, twice.

I was on it with Geodon but that was a long time ago and Geodon caused serious problems for me so I only took it for about 4 months or so.

This is very surprising to me. wow are you a little person?
I am 5'7" 160 pounds...and drink a lot of alcohol on the weekends. 5-6 beers.
bizi

[BeyondtheRainbow]

No. Over 200 lbs. I am sensitive to meds though.

I had a nasty toxicity in 2006 that lasted 6 months because I was vomiting so often it was hard to get an accurate level and toxicity didn't seem like a likely issue; my therapist moved out of the country with a few weeks notice and I developed ulcers so the vomiting seemed to be from that. Then it got worse and my new therapist noticed some neurological signs and sure enough, toxic. After that I was sensitive to it and had to be careful. I wound up hospitalized with a level of 2 something 24 hours after my last dose when on 425 mg in 2011 (that was fun.......tons of fluids so tons of trips to pee and tons of blood draws so they start getting creative with where they are drawing from with interns doing the drawing). Then in 2014 I once again got toxic on 425 and that time we stopped it. We hadn't before because lithium really helped me but I clearly can't tolerate it. Last winter out of desperation we tried again and in a few weeks I didn't get toxic but didn't get helped either on the low dose.

[bizi]

Originally Posted by still_crazy

If you don't like your psychiatrist (seems to be a common problem, btw), do you think you could find a DO or MD who does family/general/internal medicine to prescribe? It'd probably be easier to schedule, less attitude from them, and you could get labs done at the same location, if needed. Just a thought.

Hope things work out well for you.

Thank you
I also take .5mg of klonipin at night to sleep.
I just got a DO for my primary by accident. I could ask him to prescribe my meds for me. I wonder if he would/be able to do that? I have seen him one time for my wellness exam. I have to find a gyn, female as he doesn't do paps.
Maybe next year if he is still there...I could ask him.
I pay privately to see my current pdoc.
She is reasonable. $95 for a med check 15 minutes. and sees me every 3-4 months. She charges me more($120) if I am unstable and my session lasts longer and would see me monthly if I need that.
I don't like her because she is judgemental about my drinking, makes me feel like there is something morally wrong because I have a drinking problem.
She has become overly involved asking me to create monthly charts about my drinking behavior. Mood charts, sleep chart.
Too much, I got hypo manic from all that.
sigh
She suggested I go to AA and I told her that I did not want to do that.
anyway she has been my pdoc for 13 years.
I confronted her and she backed off,
Now I lie to her now about how much I drink, which is 3-4 nights anywhere from 2-6 beers. I had 4 nights alcohol free last week which was good!
I was drinking every night before taking the lithium and glutamine. lithium for a month and glutamine for 2 weeks. I feel back in control.
bizi

[Sad Mermaid]

I take both without a problem. I was at some point at 180 mg of Geodon and 1500 mg of Lithium and I had Lithium toxicity, but at doses of 1200 mg and below I have none. I currently take 120 mg of Geodon.

[bizi]

Originally Posted by Sad Mermaid

I take both without a problem. I was at some point at 180 mg of Geodon and 1500 mg of Lithium and I had Lithium toxicity, but at doses of 1200 mg and below I have none. I currently take 120 mg of Geodon.

Thank you so much!

Beyond, sorry that you got toxic from it.
Maybe I can ask if my GP would order a lithium level if I start to have symptoms? I guess I need to research what signs/symptoms of toxicity to look for.

bizi