Questions after a month on Lithium

So, it's been a little over a month since I started Lithium. I'm up to 900 mg. My wife says that my mood has improved immensely.

The weird thing is that I don't really feel happier. I feel more patient. I'm not yelling as much. But not "happy." Then again, maybe my definition of happy has been screwed up by my few experiences of euphoric hypomania. Should I be feeling happy, or is that not something to shoot for?

I'm also wondering how people have dealt with the weight gain. I've gained 15 lbs! I have swollen ankles! Do I just need to live with it or have people found ways to lose the weight?

Thanks as always.

I’ve been on lithium a few months now. I was suffering from a crushing depression and anxiety, and that has lifted. I was ready to try anything—anything! I couldn’t stand the anxiety anymore. I was even ready to take benzos that I had been so against. Fortunately, my doc said no. And the lithium works. It just does it’s job in my case.

I’m also on 900mg.

Does the lithium make me happy? I don’t think it (or any drug) can do that. I’m lucky in that I get a little buzz from gabapentin, so I feel good, but it’s not from the lithium.

I’m going back on the (low carb) paleo diet once the holidays are over. I still have a little more chocolate to polish off it has been extremely effective in the past.

Disclaimer: I've never been on Lithium, but I might be able to help...

In general, mood stabilizers have calmed me down as well. I'm more patient and less prone to outbursts. However, these meds have NOT made me any happier, yet they haven't made me any sadder either. I still get depressed and manic on them. But at the same time, they're the only things that stop the outbursts, so I continue to take them. So remember, if the mood stabilizing med (in your case, Lithium) does SOMETHING positive for you, then it's a useful tool. It's not necessarily about "am I happier or not?" on the med. It's about "what positive thing is this med doing for me?"

Now personally, I need an antipsychotic and an antidepressant to help me stay happy. It is difficult to remember what true happiness is like when you've been euphoric for so long, but if you give your meds some time and get the doses right, you'll start to come back to earth and you'll be better able to differentiate true happiness from euphoria. It'll take some time, though, and isn't an overnight thing. If you've got a therapist, your therapist can help you tell the difference as well.

Just remember that you don't "have to live" with the side effects. So I recommend working with your psychiatrist on ways you can eliminate (or at least reduce the intensity of) your side effects. Sometimes there are other meds or lifestyle changes you can make to help some of these side effects. No one wants another med, of course, but if Lithium happens to be the only thing that works, you can try seeing if that's what you need. Though I would recommend trying to find *natural* ways first... because who wants another med added to the cocktail?

I don’t like the word “ happy” for me being content is a better goal

It sounds like it is working for you like Christina said I feel content.

Yes, thank you - that is a better way to think of it. And in that mindframe I am more content It's such an odd feeling. Even my crowd phobia feels better. I feel more "stable."

So here's the next question then: how did you know that your dose was "enough"?

You make sure your dose is right by getting your blood serums checked. Normal range is between a .6 and 1.2. If you fall between those numbers your dose is right.

I've done 900mg and 1200mg, both in therapeutic range when I have blood work done. I feel better on the lower dose.

For me ... my blood work was good at 900-1200 , but I felt better just on the 900

My blood work was also good at 1200 and 900. I just like 900 more and don't have to drink as much fluids as at 1200

I’m also on 900. although this is below the therapeutic blood level, the pdoc decided to leave it there since I’m doing better.

@TheSadGirl and @~Christina
How did you feel on the higher dose? What made it worse?

At 1200 I felt like I was skating to close to a toxic level I just felt very off even tho bloodwork supported the dose.

I felt safer on the lower dose but eventually went off it due to worries about long term use.

I was dying of thirst all the time and felt numbed. I switched antidepressants when they lowered my lithium, so its hard to say what's what beyond that.

I take 1125 of Lithium. It was the only thing to control my mania early on.
I already had chronic kidney issues so I do all the right things for me: 2-4L of fluids/day, monthly blood tests (both of renal function and lithium level). My lithium level has been 0.8 for over a year.
My thyroid is not happy but my mum and grandma both had hypothyroidism by the time they were my age so it’s more likely to be hereditary as opposed to caused by lithium.

Happiness is being content with your inner self.