Posted by Ritch on January 21, 2005, at 12:23:40
In reply to Lowest meaningful lithium level, posted by tensor on January 21, 2005, at 9:22:26
> Hi,
>
> I've been on lithium for two weeks 600mg. After one week the lithium level was 0.3 and today it was 0.2. I noticed a slight improvement in mood from yesterday, having a little more energy than before. I know the level should be at least 0.4-0.5, but from experience, has anyone done well at levels lower than that? And at the same time convinced it actually was lithium that helped.
> I couldn't reach my pdoc today and will not until tuesday, i did however talked to my therapist(who also is a physician) and told me to increase to 900mg. My next blood test is next thursday so from that point of view it would better to start with 900mg now than on tuesday. Thoughts on this?
>
> Thanks,
> Mattias
Hi, I was on lithium for about twenty years and took blood tests pretty consistently the first ten or so years. Anyhow *dosage* wise I never had any significant improvement in response to it above 600mg/day. The 'response curve' flattened out pretty good around there for sure. The blood level associated with that flattened area was around .3 .. similar to yours. 300mg clearly helped, 450mg clearly helped a lot more, 600mg helped just a little better than 450mg but not much. Anything higher than 600mg I generally just had worse side effects. I went all the way to 1500mg for quite a while. I had some treatment resistant manic symptoms (I was young then) that lithium just didn't work as well for. As far as an antidepressant the 600mg dose was pretty much its peak effect as well. I tend to respond to low doses of meds (if they work) anyhow though. Hope this helps.
poster:Ritch
thread:445146
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050119/msgs/445219.html