Posted by Dan Perkins on November 12, 2004, at 19:21:54
In reply to Lithium - is it really that big a step?, posted by cubic_me on November 12, 2004, at 17:41:34
I had the same reaction when my pdoc brought up Lithium. I had always thought of it as pretty hard core end of the line kind of thing, but my pdoc seemed to have no idea where I would have gotten the notion that lithium was any kind of big deal at all.
So, I went on lithium (to augment Parnate and later Nortriptyline) and he was right, it was no big deal AT ALL! It had a stabalizing effect on my mood (even though I am unipolar) but even that effect wasn't that dramatic. I have been on a whole lot of meds and Lithium does not stand out at all as having had a lot of side effects or as being that serious.
I don't know the history of lithium and why it seems to have the stigma that it has, but in my book it is completely unfounded. Maybe it's thought of as serious because it is used to treat bipolar which people may have stereotyped as hardcore and serious and that some of that image rubbed off on the drug.
I'm not endorsing lithium (ultimately wasn't right for me) but I am telling you that there is nothing to fear about taking it.
poster:Dan Perkins
thread:415163
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20041108/msgs/415208.html