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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 19 of 19. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by sheilac on July 12, 2011, at 17:06:35
Got hypomanic on 40mg of Geodon, doc moved me up to 60mg, then 80mg. I couldn't sleep, heart was racing, was bouncing off the walls and shopping like there is no tomorrow!
I guess this med works for a lot of people and it seemed to work well for me "at first", then it made me manic.
I wasn't manic, just irritable before starting Geodon, it threw me into full mania!
Now I am taking 2mg a day of Klonopin and low dose Lithium (450mg.) Blood level of .4, but doc want me up to 600mg of lithium.
How can I keep from getting fat and losing my hair if I go up to 600mg?
When I take a 300mg pill of Lithium I feel stoned! I can take 150mg in the morning and function - but not 300mg!
What to do?
It has calmed me down and I am no longer manic, but I don't think I can tolerate 600mg.
Also - Lithium makes me lose my hair. Any suggestions on that?
I want to keep my hair.
Posted by bleauberry on July 12, 2011, at 21:02:05
In reply to Back to the Salt - Lithium..., posted by sheilac on July 12, 2011, at 17:06:35
>
> When I take a 300mg pill of Lithium I feel stoned! I can take 150mg in the morning and function - but not 300mg!
>
> What to do?
>Do 150mg in the morning. And if needed, another 150mg late afternoon or evening.
Who says 600mg is the magic number? How do they know? It looks to me like 150mg is right.
> Also - Lithium makes me lose my hair. Any suggestions on that?
>
> I want to keep my hair.
>Keep the dose low.
Posted by floatingbridge on July 12, 2011, at 21:37:03
In reply to Back to the Salt - Lithium..., posted by sheilac on July 12, 2011, at 17:06:35
Sheila, that you respond to lithium is at least a potential positive to work with, though I can't advise on a dose. Sending on going support to you.
> Got hypomanic on 40mg of Geodon, doc moved me up to 60mg, then 80mg. I couldn't sleep, heart was racing, was bouncing off the walls and shopping like there is no tomorrow!
>
> I guess this med works for a lot of people and it seemed to work well for me "at first", then it made me manic.
>
> I wasn't manic, just irritable before starting Geodon, it threw me into full mania!
>
> Now I am taking 2mg a day of Klonopin and low dose Lithium (450mg.) Blood level of .4, but doc want me up to 600mg of lithium.
>
> How can I keep from getting fat and losing my hair if I go up to 600mg?
>
> When I take a 300mg pill of Lithium I feel stoned! I can take 150mg in the morning and function - but not 300mg!
>
> What to do?
>
> It has calmed me down and I am no longer manic, but I don't think I can tolerate 600mg.
>
> Also - Lithium makes me lose my hair. Any suggestions on that?
>
> I want to keep my hair.
>
>
Posted by crazyjoe on July 12, 2011, at 23:12:55
In reply to Re: Back to the Salt - Lithium... » sheilac, posted by floatingbridge on July 12, 2011, at 21:37:03
ask dr of long term lithium effects on the kidneys--just curious
Posted by morgan miller on July 12, 2011, at 23:37:08
In reply to Re: Back to the Salt - Lithium..., posted by bleauberry on July 12, 2011, at 21:02:05
I agree with BB, do the 150 in the morning and 150 at night if that works for you.
Hmm, I need to find out what the cause of hair loss from lithium is believed to be. Just checked and it looks like lithium can deplete both folic acid and inositol. You may want to supplement both these. Maybe 400 to 800 mcg of l methylfolate and 300 to 500 mg of inositol. Some suspect that lithium may in part be effective because of the depletion of inositol brain stores. I'm not so sure it would interfere with lithium's efficacy if you did supplement with inositol. I do think supplementing l methylfolate may be more important for preventing the hair loss you experience.
Do you take fish oil and vitamin E? Some believe these in combination may help reduce lithium toxicity.
Hair supplements to consider:
Jarrowsil
MSM
Biotin
Biocell collagen
Cellfood Silica
A good old Multivitamin-Megafood one daily and New Chapter one daily are my favorites
Posted by morgan miller on July 12, 2011, at 23:38:52
In reply to Back to the Salt - Lithium..., posted by sheilac on July 12, 2011, at 17:06:35
Ah ha! It looks like both folate and inositol may be important for hair growth, so supplement both of them!
Posted by Phillipa on July 13, 2011, at 11:11:10
In reply to Re: Back to the Salt - Lithium..., posted by morgan miller on July 12, 2011, at 23:38:52
Maybe Deplin would work then? Phillipa
Posted by morgan miller on July 13, 2011, at 13:05:28
In reply to Re: Back to the Salt - Lithium..., posted by Phillipa on July 13, 2011, at 11:11:10
Deplin could would be fine, especially if it helped with depression, but I think a much lower dose of l methylfolate would be better. Deplin might be too high a dose for most people.
Posted by Phillipa on July 13, 2011, at 20:08:30
In reply to Re: Back to the Salt - Lithium..., posted by morgan miller on July 13, 2011, at 13:05:28
Now they say that 15mg of Deplin is the theraputic dose. Phillipa
Posted by morgan miller on July 13, 2011, at 21:09:36
In reply to Re: Back to the Salt - Lithium... » morgan miller, posted by Phillipa on July 13, 2011, at 20:08:30
Yeah, that's a shitload of folate. I just would not want to take that long term. Besides, Sheila is just looking for something to help prevent her hair from falling out.
Posted by Phillipa on July 13, 2011, at 21:52:47
In reply to Re: Back to the Salt - Lithium..., posted by morgan miller on July 13, 2011, at 21:09:36
Deplin is considered a medical food. Did you read the other Site where Susan Whelan of Deplin posted three articles on it? Google her posting name. Let me know what you think? Phillipa
Posted by crazyjoe on July 13, 2011, at 21:53:20
In reply to Re: Back to the Salt - Lithium..., posted by morgan miller on July 13, 2011, at 21:09:36
like i said previously do dr's ever talk to their patients about long term lithium use and their kidneys??
Posted by morgan miller on July 13, 2011, at 22:15:42
In reply to Re: Back to the Salt - Lithium..., posted by crazyjoe on July 13, 2011, at 21:53:20
> like i said previously do dr's ever talk to their patients about long term lithium use and their kidneys??
Yes, they say you have to get blood work done 3 or 4 times a year to monitor kidney health. A fairly low dose of lithium is not likely to cause kidney problems with a healthy individual that takes very good care of themselves, IMO.
Posted by crazyjoe on July 14, 2011, at 16:05:22
In reply to Re: Back to the Salt - Lithium..., posted by morgan miller on July 13, 2011, at 22:15:42
i only say that because i too 1800 for many years and my nephrologist thought it was best to stop it.
Posted by morgan miller on July 14, 2011, at 23:25:50
In reply to Re: Back to the Salt - Lithium..., posted by crazyjoe on July 14, 2011, at 16:05:22
> i only say that because i too 1800 for many years and my nephrologist thought it was best to stop it.
1800 mgs is a shitload of lithium. There are better ways to use lithium and other medications long term, along with other approaches/therapies, and keep mood stable so that one can thrive.
Posted by crazyjoe on July 15, 2011, at 13:51:41
In reply to Re: Back to the Salt - Lithium..., posted by morgan miller on July 14, 2011, at 23:25:50
it does seem like a lot of lithium but unfortunately i needed a higher dose to be in a theurapeutic range where it worked ...it was never above this ...never was toxic...go figure
Posted by desolationrower on July 15, 2011, at 21:09:36
In reply to Re: Back to the Salt - Lithium... » sheilac, posted by floatingbridge on July 12, 2011, at 21:37:03
How can I keep from getting fat and losing my hair if I go up to 600mg?
for fat, i have posted somewhere i think that is an osmolytic effects and make sure you drink lots of water so you don't 'eat because of thirst' (or drink a bunch of soda)
for hair, i dunno. from what i can tell, low doses are good for hair (i have male patter hair loss and i also read lots of studies on that.)
i am not sure mid level doses are useful for mania, but either a low dose like 200mg or just add a low doses of an old fashioned neuroleptic like haliperidol, which avoids risk of increasing pro-manic effects of geodon before you get high enough for the anti-manic effects to kick in
-d/r
Posted by morgan miller on July 15, 2011, at 23:21:51
In reply to Re: Back to the Salt - Lithium..., posted by crazyjoe on July 15, 2011, at 13:51:41
> it does seem like a lot of lithium but unfortunately i needed a higher dose to be in a theurapeutic range where it worked ...it was never above this ...never was toxic...go figure
That is still toxic. Anything that has the potential to do damage is toxic. Just because it's not going to kill you tomorrow does not mean it's not bad for you or doing harm. More than 2 alcoholic beverages for most men is toxic.
I don't have a problem with being on a dose like that for maybe 4 to 6 months to treat an acute epicode. I do believe it is unnecessary in almost all cases to continue with such a dose if everything else is being done to improve well being, inluding using different medications, supplements, diet, exercise, therapy, group therapy, social activities, etc.
Posted by crazyjoe on July 16, 2011, at 7:25:25
In reply to Re: Back to the Salt - Lithium..., posted by morgan miller on July 15, 2011, at 23:21:51
i somewhat agree with what your saying but i also had stubborn resistant ocd of which i took luvox this is the only thing that semeed to work....i must correct muself the last thre years went to 1500 then 1200 then 900 didn't work at all then now on tegretol/lamictal ....
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