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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by Deb200 on April 4, 2005, at 16:05:35
Hi
Is anyone out there on lithium who has not experienced weight gain? ALso,in terms of its effectiveness in treating bipolar (especially depression),how long did it take before you felt an effect from the lithium, positive or negative?
Thank you
Posted by Spriggy on April 4, 2005, at 19:23:59
In reply to lithium and weight gain, posted by Deb200 on April 4, 2005, at 16:05:35
My grandmother was on Lithium and she was severely bipolar. She only gained minimal weight (like 5 pounds) and was on it for over 15 years.
Back then, she would have to go off of it on occasion because of some blood level of something (long time ago don't remember) but I know when she was ON it- she did wonderfully. It was the times she had to be taken off that she would attempt suicide or be hospitalized.
She could not have survived as long as she did without Lithium.
And, one of my good friends got put on Lithium 6 weeks ago, I just got an email from her telling me how well she feels for the first time in years (and she is bipolar).
So maybe that will encourage you.
Posted by wearybuthopeful on April 6, 2005, at 20:21:51
In reply to lithium and weight gain, posted by Deb200 on April 4, 2005, at 16:05:35
Hello.
My experience is mixed. After years of minimal benefit from a medley of antidepressants, I was diagnosed with "soft" bipolar - bipolar depression.
I gained a lot of weight - about 25 pounds over 14 months. However, I recently was diagnosed with Hashimoto's Disease, hypothyroid. So that weight gain may very well be attributed more to the metabolic slowdown than the lithium.
I felt somewhat better on lithium, but I also had simultaneous improvement in life circumstances, so to speak, so not certain if it was the lithium or not.
So I'm a mixed bag! I do know of several women who have been on lithium long term and were very careful to watch their food intake and they exercised - from the get go. Weight gain was minimal for them.
Hope others can give you a clearer picture.
And best of luck.
WBH
Hi
> Is anyone out there on lithium who has not experienced weight gain? ALso,in terms of its effectiveness in treating bipolar (especially depression),how long did it take before you felt an effect from the lithium, positive or negative?
> Thank you
>
Posted by cache-monkey on April 7, 2005, at 18:33:42
In reply to lithium and weight gain, posted by Deb200 on April 4, 2005, at 16:05:35
Hi,
I was on Lithium 600 mg - 1200 mg for about two months and experienced no weight gain. I found it pretty effective in terms of both stability and a mild AD effect after two weeks at 900 mg.
I don't know if you're BP I or II, but be careful about pushing the dose too high. My pdoc insisted on raising the dose when I already felt stable and I had to d/c due to intolerable thirst/urination side effects. And the sad thing is that my Lithium level at 900 mg (0.41) was just at the lower end of the new recommended guidelines for stabilization.
My pdoc wasn't aware of this and was following the old-school guidelines. With BP II the threshold might be lower, although this is unproven. Nonethless for soft BP, many doctors recommend listenting to your symptoms and relying on levels just to make sure they aren't too high.
HTH,
cache-monkey> Hi
> Is anyone out there on lithium who has not experienced weight gain? ALso,in terms of its effectiveness in treating bipolar (especially depression),how long did it take before you felt an effect from the lithium, positive or negative?
> Thank you
>
Posted by ed_uk on April 7, 2005, at 19:35:32
In reply to Re: lithium and weight gain » Deb200, posted by cache-monkey on April 7, 2005, at 18:33:42
Hi!
>And the sad thing is that my Lithium level at 900 mg (0.41) was just at the lower end of the new recommended guidelines for stabilization.
0.4 has been the lower limit in England for many years! Maybe we got something right for once! Some people seem to benefit from less than 0.4, especially for depression.
Regards,
Ed.
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