Posted by Lin on August 18, 2000, at 9:16:59
In reply to Re: How does it feel to be on Lithium? SCARED OF IT!, posted by stjames on August 18, 2000, at 1:24:10
Anna,
I am on 900 mg lithium, which I take in 3 doses every day. I am also on Klonopin and Zyprexa. I am bipolar, type 1. As for the lithium, when I started it I had some nausea. Also, my sense of smell became very acute; my psychiatrist likened it to the way a woman's sense of smell becomes during pregnancy. I was also very thirsty and drank a lot of water, whcih of course made me have to go to the bathroom more. Other than that, it was very easy to tolerate. In addition, these side effects: nausea, thirst, etc. went away shortly. I actually prefer it to the other mood stabilizers both in terms of side effects and in terms of efficacy. I have found it the most effective mood stabilizer (for me), and it has really taken the edge off and stopped the massive, volatile mood swings I used to get. One thing to look out for: I exercise pretty hard and my psychiatrist warned me that when I sweat a lot and lose a lot of salt, my lithium levels will go up dramatically. This happened to me once after a workout -- I noticed that I was shaking really hard and was dizzy and felt like I was going to bump into a wall. My shrink told me how to time my workouts so that my lithium level is lower when I work out, and she also said that during all workouts I should drink gatorade to replenish the fluids that I am losing. I loathed gatorade at the beginning, but drank it anyway...and now it is starting to grow on me! Anyway, keep us posted and good luck with the lithium. -Lin
poster:Lin
thread:43173
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000811/msgs/43238.html