Posted by linkadge on November 5, 2006, at 16:15:11
In reply to lithium » Squiggles, posted by johnnyj on November 5, 2006, at 14:53:32
>I was told by the pdoc that fire me recently >that lithium causes no withdrawal.
Any psychatric drug can cause withdralw. Lithium is no exception. Insomnia, anxiety, mood swings, rebound excitation, rebound mania, irritability, all possable withdrawl symptoms.
>I believe this doc gave me a good dx but >somethings he says seems to contradicte what I >have read out there. He also told me that >lunesta has no withdrawal. That is not what the >company says either. When I told him I felt >better without the lithium, and that it took >about 3 weeks, he basically said I was lying and >that is not possible.
Of course it is possable. Depression can be a nasty side effect of lithium therapy for many people. I hated lithium. It made colors very grey for me. It made my life very grey, nothing to look forward to, no interests etc, etc.
>I was on lithium for unipolar augmentation. I >have often wondered if the lithium caused some >depression/anxiety in me and affected my sleep. >I also had REM rebound when I stopped lithium >which he also told me was not true.Of course it is true. Lithium supresses REM. I hate those doctors who deny everything. They think it is in your best interest that they lie to you. They think they are doing you a favor.
>I don't believe I made all of it up but I >questioned myself after he berated me. I am not >sure what to think.
There are plenty of cases in which lithium therapy is very inappropriate and tends to make depression worse. Lithium can mess with hormones, ie thyroid. It also lowers DHEA-S. Which is a hormone with powerful antidepressant properties in some populations. Lithium is generally useless in depressons whoose underpinnings are related to low dopamine. Lithium is anti-dopaminergic. It actually gave me EPS.
Linkadge
poster:linkadge
thread:699922
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20061104/msgs/700663.html