[stillgrowing]

I will talk to my pdoc about this of course, but from your experience, what is the typical/safe/therapeutic blood level for lithium? I've been doing some research and all of the sources seem to vary a little bit, so I thought I'd put the question out given that there's so many of us on lithium.

I'm fairly new to lithium so I'm not aware of my level at the moment, but will be looking into it soon. I'm just trying to understand it as much as I can in the meantime.

I dont know my numbers. What I do know is that I was within therapeutic levels at both 900mg and 1200mg per day. Either kept me in range, but I feel so much better on the lower dose.

[pirilin]

I was so scared by the internet comments, which BTW, I don't pay any attention anymore, that I went in the rarified world of Li with the condition of getting a standing order.
I used three times in 15 days, because I couldn't tolerate 900mg.

Then I told the doc to cancel it. My level with 600mg was .4 blood serum. Twice. I don't like needles.
People are different, of course. What works for me......yada yada yada.

BTW, .04 was still therapeutic for me.
The norm is 500 to 1500 hundred. Great medicine. Got me out of a terrible depression.

Good luck. Cheers.

[stillgrowing]

I’m not as much scared (I definitely have GAD, but thankfully not health anxiety, although it seems that Lithium has somehow helped my anxiety to some degree) but I try to equip myself with as much information as possible so I can be an active participant in my own healthcare.
It’s definitely been the one med that I think has helped me since I started struggling hard almost a year ago, although we spent some of that time treating a MDE before my bipolar 2 diagnosis. I feel like it helped me a bit more in the beginning than it does now, so I will talk to my doctor about if tweaks are needed. My level was also tested, but I don’t have the results on that yet.

[Scooter9]

My pdoc is targeting a level between 1 and 1.2 and I'm currently at 1.11 so I'm on track.

I take 900mg but how much you actually take depends on a number of factors which is why they look at your blood level.

Hope this helps.

[eye2797]

I take 900 mg of lithium. My blood level is always at .9. It has helped me a lot.

[cashart10]

When I took it, my goal was 1.2.

[stillgrowing]

Good to know... thanks for sharing your experiences.

[MoodyMountain]

A "Low" target is .6-.7. A high target is .8 to .12 although as above, some research recommends 1.0-1.2. I'm at 1.0 and taking 1200 mg a day.

[Pookyl]

Our lab reference range is 0.6-1.2
My pdoc likes my Lithium to be 0.8 which sounds very specific. My level does sit on this number.
I’ve been toxic once in Oct 2016 with my level at 1.6