lithium withdrawal - does it exist or happen

Hi everyone,

I was put on lithium along with antidepressants for 4 months for depression and its only 2 days back that lithium has been stopped but antidepressants continue.

I am having a very very diffcult time.

i was just wondering is there anything called lithium withdrawal like we have antidepressant withdrawal symptoms...

Any personal experience or if anyone can relate then please reply

thanks

sunando

http://www.psychopharmacology.com
I looked and found this site. You have to create a "login" name but it looked like it had the information you need. Pat

its a paid site i believe...is there any other alternative

go to google and type in "lithium withdrawal" and lots of sites will come up........xoxox pat

Good luck on this one. Maybe CAM will pop in here.

Ry

I am really having extremely tough time...but my doctor although one of the best psychiatrists is hardly having anytime to explain me why he discontinued lithium and what effect it will have on me...

I mean what to do... i am feeling so bad...heart is racing rapidly...feeling fearful..feeling like crying...please anyone can relate and how u have coped with it after discontinuing lithium...

well no replies...seems i am the only unfortunate one going through lithium withdrawal...what else to say...

you could google "lithium withdrawal" and find about 3,000 websites on it.

sun - Lithium withdrawl symptoms can occur in a few people. The main adverse effect that occasionally occurs when stopping lithium abruptly is a rebound return of mania. This seems to be the only semi-confirmed effect of abrupt lithum withdrawl that has any scientific validity, and occurs, in varying degrees, in less than 50% of people abruptly stopping lithium.

Other claims of withdrawl effects have little scientific evidence to back them up. Especially irritating to me are the websites that have a vested interest in a product that they are selling, who offering misinformation about scientifically proven, effective treatments for a disorder, in order to make their "snake oil" look like a wonder drug, when the product is as useless as (probably more useless than sticking round pebbles up one's butt).

I cannot name this product, as I have had run-ins with them in the past. All I can say is that any company that has to keep a team of lawyers on retainer who's sole purpose seems to be to intimidate any ordinary "schmoe" who publicly denounce their "unproven product" with a "cease and desist" order and the threat of an expensive lawsuit.

All that I will state as an absolute, unequivocal, scientifically-backed "fact" is that mega-vitamin therapy WILL NOT CURE bipolar disorder, nor WILL IT CURE schizophrenia. This is as far as I am willing to go on this point.

Make sure to read websites carefully, and make note as to what they are selling. - Cam

hi cam, thanks for ur reply...

actually i was put on lithium for my unipolar depression (not for bipolar depression) so i believe there is no q of return of mania......

what i am finding is i am unable to sleep at all and my heart is racing rapidly, i feel fearful and crying and a very strange nasty feeling....

i was on lithium 400 mg for 4 months.

may be i will get adjusted to be without lithium but this period of adjustment is too tough.

feelinga little better today.

thanks for replying,

sunando

Hi there,
Lithium withdrawal? I was on it, worked great for manic tendencies, when I was switched to Lamictal, being that it addressed the depressive side which I needed more than manic side (I'm BP-II, not having mania hardly at all but tend to be more on the deeply depressed side) I had no withdrawal effects.
Maybe in time you'll be given a mood stabilizer that helps also with depression, some of us almost become immuned to some AD's especially SSRI's, they refer to it as "poop out", it happened to me and that is when med change was made.
Time helps too with a lot of our issues, I firmly believe in talk therapy in adjunct with meds. both together really can do wonders, just takes time.
Just my 2 cents.
Lots of good wishes of luck to you with this,

DE

BTW
I always suggest to people on meds to ask the prescribing physician info and/or tell him or her what you are feeling, keeping good communications are very important.

(((((sunando)))))

I'm sorry you're feeling like this! Some of your withdrawal symptoms mirror much of what a hoypomanic/manic state and rapid-cycling is like for me, as I am bi-polar 1 (more manic than depressed and Lithium is working wonderfully for me) - the inability to sleep (mania), feeling fearful and crying, nasty pit in your gut (depression-like symptoms....end of cycle)

I don't know where the racing heart is coming from, possibly anxiety related? I only ask because you mentioned feeling fearful.

Maybe a call to your doc about your adverse reactions to being taken off the Lithium could afford you some much needed answers.

Jenn

hi thanks for those encouraging replies....

darkeyes i went through that lamictal site but it appears that there is one seriouc possible side effect of severe skin rashes which statistically occurs in 8 out of 1000 patients... thats a big concern...

yes dolphin...i did call my doctor but u know what he said i will get adjusted to it after few days...

u know what although i do have highest regard for medical profession but atleast in India here its after all a money making business like any other business...

my psychiatrist sees 120 patients daily (something which he told me only)... and he hardly has anytime i believe to explain me in detail any of my queries... but then i do not have much choices as he is the best in the field in my city and has great reputation...what really hurts me is that everytime i visit him not only i have to pay high fees but even then he gives maximum of 5-10 minutes in which all i can say is about my symtoms and get medicines prescribed... he hardly bothers to explain me anything....

but then i have no choice either...

thanks u people for ur support

The rash thing had me very scared at first, but the percent is minute, so I gave it a go, it worked
A good pdoc will start you in very low doses as they are supposed to, as you are titrated gradually you will hardly feel any side effect, just better, providing this med is for you, not everyone responds the same but I always feel if something isn't working, try a new one under pdoc's supervision.
If a person starting on small dose starts to show any sign of "the rash" they need to report to the doc.
Over the years of being on it I occasionaly get a small rashing around my jawline or under chin, but so minor and only once in awhile even my GP said it just may be one of my cosmetics or skin toners and nothing to do with the med. The cold winter didn't help with skin conditions for many people taking or NOT taking meds.
Just talk things over with your doc with whats going on right now, I am sure he or she will help you out.
I'm wishing you lots of luck meanwhile
Feel free to let us know how you make out when you speak to your doc.

Take care now,

DE

thanks darkeyes

i will talk to my doctor about it...i hope he listens and takes it seriously...will keep posted here what happens...thanks again....

sunando

i had lithium withdrawal - well i assume lithium. i was in hospital in 03 on ritalin, lithium (1000 mg), valproate and antidepressant (forget which one) plus lorazepam and temazepam and antipsychotic (seroquel i think). as soon as my section was lifted i stopped taking them all, instantly. i felt absolutely awful for ages - but the only thing i went back on was lithium at which point all the withdrawal symptoms stopped almost as quickly as they'd started. i had extreme dizziness and faintness, sickness, inability to go from sitting to standing/lying to sitting or back again without wanting to faint, and really bad headaches. the doc said this was lithium withdrawal and persuaded me to go back on it after a few days - about 10 i think - and they stopped fairly soon after that. i later had to go back on some of the other stuff too but the lithium was the problem. although it should be noted i was on 1000mg not 400 so that may make a difference, i don't know....

good luck xx

Darn, I just wrote a maybe too lengthy reply to this, computer ate it, grrrr! Don't you just love when the internet connections do this?
Well anyway I won't go into a big spiel again, but Ritalin, Benzo's (especially) can give you this faint, unsteady feeling, more than Lithium would, also I recall when I was on Depakote (Valproate) I felt that odd feeling, needless to say, the Lithium was the least of a problem, in fact no withdrawal when I went off Lithiium (gradually) to start a different med. that addressed mood besides depression that no longer responded to antidepressants.
Just my 2 cents here, due to knowing many who were on Lithium, and many still are who have not had any major problems with Lithium, it always turned out the culprits were their other meds.
It may be too many was in the combo. that you were given that sort of didn't mesh and gave you this horrible feeling.
Whatever, Lithium is a good mood stabilizer, with a longer successful track record than many of the newer stabilizers that came out after. It may not work for everyone, but if it does I'd say stick with it

I am wishing all here lots of luck and progress with all of this.

Cam is best to get info from, his expertise due to his profession and devotion to the field.

Sincerely,
DE