Posted by Trey on August 18, 1999, at 20:09:58
In reply to Re: running out of AD options...Is Lithium next?, posted by yardena on August 18, 1999, at 9:20:07
Hi, Yardena. I was just breezing through the posts and the word "lithium" caught my eye. I am bipolar and have been taking lithium for over 10 years now. Although I am rather atypical and on a relatively small dosage, I can tell you from experience that lithium isn't as potentially dangerous as you may have heard. Indeed, lithium is a medication and is foreign to the body, but unlike other psych meds, lithium is basically a naturally occurring salt. The body flushes out lithium that is not needed. Once your doctor prescribes it, you will go in for routine bloodwork to make sure that the levels of lithium in your body are at a therapeutic level. Once that it is determined that your blood lithium level is stable, all you need to do is drink plenty of fluids to flush out any extra. The worst symptoms I have ever experienced is occassional loose bowels and a bit of excessive thirst. Both are a sign from your body to drink more water. Of course, this is info coming from an ordinary person, so you should definitely discuss it with your doctor. I am not sure if lithium will work for you personally, but it's definitely worth a try. Oh, hang on, did I say I was ordinary? I meant to say that I am extraordinary, and so are you. You're a hell of a lot stronger than you think, and you WILL get through this. All of your friends are here to support you, and God is watching over you to make sure you get through this OK. Love yourself.
poster:Trey
thread:10247
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/19990814/msgs/10303.html