Posted by cache-monkey on March 19, 2005, at 13:29:43
In reply to Benzos and other stuff » cache-monkey, posted by barbaracat on March 18, 2005, at 18:52:36
Wow, BarbaraCat! Thank you so much for all the information and counsel.
A couple of brief follow-ups below...
<<Yes, definitely thirstier. It increases peeing and makes the kidneys work hard. It goes away if you drink extra water and increase salt intake. But definitely NOT table salt which simply causes bloat. You need to replenish electrolytes and minerals that are from a bioavailable source and a good salt will do that.
The best salt I've come across is from a deep mine in the Himalayas and tastes wonderful. I'm totally spoiled on this lovely pink salt. I order it from www.americanbluegreen.com. The website has alot of info on the its benefits. It's expensive, however, around $30 for 2lbs, but I think of it as a necessary medicine. You can get it from other sources which might be slightly less spendy, but this stuff is da kine.>>
Hmm. So this is different than NaCl? I'll check out the website. Dehydration is definitely a concern for me. (Even as a child, I would dehydrate very easily.) Are there other sources of electrolytes that you might recommend? E.g. is it possible to go into a GNC and buy some sort of electrolyte powder or pill?
<< Another side effect that happened when I increased Li was hand tremors. It was very annoying. It started to subside after 2 months but I went back down to 600mg anyway, which seems to be good enough for me, although far below my therapeutic window. >>
Luckily, I've escaped this so far. I've always had shaky hands and haven't noticed an appreciable increase. In fact the ride up Li has (knock wood) been remarkable smooth. Hopefully the dose increase (which should get me to therapeutic levels) will be alright.
<< I didn't do well on Dep, made me very lethargic, hair started falling out (yes, this is a sx) and did nothing to prevent mania, like racing thoughts in a lethargic body. I was also taking Seroquel for a while with it which made the lethargy worse. I wanted to just stay in bed all day paralyzed with racing thoughts. >>
Yuck on the side effects. I know what you mean about staying in bed. When the racing thoughts come, I just want to curl up in a ball and reduce all sensory input.
<< Lamictal is a good combo with Lithium for mixed states. I personally needed Lithium with it, but for some bipolars with depression Lamictal alone is enough. It was pretty activating but I never felt like I was careening off into anything too manic. Unfortunately, it eventually pooped and raising the dose caused an allergic reaction so I can't take it. But it's a good one to keep in mind. >>
Yeah, I've heard good things about Lamictal. But, I also found it too activating. It actually set off a full-fledged panic attack for me. Plus it had some annoying side effects. Too bad, although I've heard that poop-out is not uncommon with it...
<< I probably could use to increase the Li but I'm concerned about the thyroid thing and the fact that it makes it real hard to lose weight. All of them do that, unfortunately. My body can't handle complicated metabolic burdens any more and so I'm trying to manage with a minimal number of meds at the lowest doses. It's a lesson in learning to tolerate discomfort and being OK with good enough instead of perfect. A real challenge for me. Besides, I must admit that I like to dance around the edge of hypomania. As long as I can nip the axiety and bring myself down from a hypo buzz, I can still enjoy the many benefits of being bipolar. >>
Yeah, I know what you mean about keeping the hypomania. I've been feeling a little "flat" on the lithium and think this is partially due to losing the hypomanic edge. My pdoc is adamant about getting into the therapeutic range, though, and I figure I'll give it a try for a little while.
<< After meeting with my pdoc, we ended up settling on Xanax XR for a while. I am concerned about the dependency factor.**Try not to stress about dependency right now while you're finding the right chemical balance. I know this has been a concern of yours in the past, but I truly think that dependency is more of a problem when your biochemistry is out of whack. When you get to a point where you're stable with the right meds, working on the breathing and exercise and supporting things nutritionally, you'll probably do fine with taking the Xanax only ocasionally. Until then, you gotta do what you can to manage anxiety and trust that you'll be able to wean off when you're ready. IMHO, Xanax XR is as good as a benzo gets, so consider it a helping friend and enjoy. >>
Thanks. That's a very comforting perspective. Have you used Xanax XR? If so, I'm wondering if you found that once-daily dosing was enough or whether you had to supplement with a little IR toward the end of the day.
<< Here's an article by Margot Kidder about amino acids in bipolar with a good explanation of L-Taurine: http://www.alternativementalhealth.com/articles/aminobipolar.htm >>I'll check this one out, too. Thanks!
<< Ah yes, lovely endorphins. Wish there was a pill for that. Guess it's called exercise. The breathing is important. Amazing how disordered breathing contributes to all this misery. Try the 1/2 tsp baking soda thing and some extra calcium. If you have uneven shallow breathing, your blood pH is most likely skewed towards acidic - a big player in panic disorder. >>
Mmmmm. Endorphins. I will try the baking soda thing.
Again, thanks for all the input. It's most appreciated.
All the best,
cache-monkey
poster:cache-monkey
thread:470912
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050317/msgs/472828.html