Lithium

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My doctor says I definitely have a mood disorder, possibly bipolar or something like it. She wants to put me on lithium and she thinks it will help with the hypersexual tendencies and manic speech, etc.

OMG really, Lithium is a scary drug. I refused it when my doctor suggested it. Please read about it and inform yourself before starting something.

My [former] psychiatrist prescribed me Lithium after lamotrigine didn't work well with me.

She insisted that Lithium was 'just a ion' and that I should take 300mg-600mg as needed, higher if I felt more anxious during a particular day. Of course, I was laughing inside when she said this. My dosage apparently was subclinical [900mg+ is common to treat manic-depressive disorder], but nonetheless I didn't really notice any effects from it and she eventually took me off.

I guess my rule of thumb is that one should approach such situations with skepticism, at least for psych issues. If the 'problem' is not apparent to you, how can someone else possibly know how you feel better?

Lithium ... I am on 1200mg / day and have been taking this dosage for about 1.5 yrs. I don't even notice it. My dad takes it too, and he's doing really well. I believe in Lithium's effectiveness because it works for my Dad. Part of any drug working for any person is that person's belief that it can work.

Also, Lithium is on the periodic table. It is a pure element. for some reason, I like that.

Mercury is too.

I get your point, though.

Only time I ever really tried to kill myself I had just recently started on Lithium. Can't remember the dose, is a couple of decades ago now.

IF....

You are truly bipolar I, lithium will suck the mean right out of you. It will taped down both the manias and depression parts. And when I was on lithium, that's all I took.

All the meds tossed at bipolar blow chunks. Antipsychotics? Rather be on Lithium. Depakote? Had my hair fall out and gain 80 lbs on that s**t. Lamictal f****d up my eye sight so bad I couldn't drive. Topamax? Keppra? Those are no walk in the park either.

Any other drug I was on, I also wound up taking other psychiatric meds. It was Depakote, some antidepressant and Xanax.

When the depressions were truly horrible, I was on a MAOI beside lithium, and I felt truly normal.

You can get lithium in a liquid form and slowly ramp it up. That is what my psychiatrist did because I have kidney issues.

I'm not on it now, but I value my stability too much not to take it again if needed.

If you are truly serious about getting stable I would try it.

I'm on it, and it works great for me. I rapid cycle between depressive and manic states, which for me are screaming rages, irritability, or extreme nastiness, with a tendency to claw or pick at my skin until it bleeds. I was doing it so bad I have scars on my back and arms. The lithium stabilizes the mood swings so I don't move between "poles" so much. I used to cycle more than once a day at times.

I'm stunned nobody here has mentioned this yet; Lithium's function (Lithium Carbonate) in the brain is scarcely differentiated from its' function in your computer's and gadgets' batteries. Neurons, dendrites and indeed many other structures take on the role of anodes and cathodes, as Lithium absorbs bio-electric charges nature intended to jump between them unimpeded. A good friend of mine is court ordered to take the stuff and he's not at all himself. From what I've seen it induces lethargy, apathy and possibly agoraphobia as my friend has been very difficult to communicate with lately.

Having seen it (temporarily I hope) turn a highly creative, worldly friend into a nearly abject shut-in, I will never touch this stuff no matter who might tell me to.

I think something to keep in mind is that psych meds act differently in different people. Lithium turns me from a raving loon that screams at my wife to a fairly calm person, and i don't feel lethargic, just balanced. I was actually pretty agoraphobic before, i think because of sensory overloads and paranoia. I've heard people swear by meds that caused agonizing migraines in me, or did nothing at all.

I think your friend needs a competent psychiatrist to reevaluate his meds. He should not be in this kind of state. There are other mood stabilizers out there.

I was prescribed Lithium along with other psych meds when I was suffering from a psychotic depression & having mood swings. the worst part about Lithium for me was having to get blood tests to check my levels. I felt kind of drained on it but my levels were alittle lower than the ideal so perhaps I would of had worse problems if my levels were at the ideal . My psych didn't want to try getting it a tad higher sense I was on other meds & it would of been tricky to get my level just rite.