Psycho-Babble Medication Thread 16540

Shown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.

 

Lithium, Day 7--Need input

Posted by Noa on December 9, 1999, at 17:15:25

Ok, seventh day, 3rd at current dose (300 am/600 pm). I think I noticed a tiny bit of improvement in the past couple of days, but nothing as noticeable as what Janice described above after three days on lithium.

How long before I can possibly notice if it is working?

 

Re: Lithium, Day 7--Need input

Posted by Janice on December 9, 1999, at 22:28:32

In reply to Lithium, Day 7--Need input , posted by Noa on December 9, 1999, at 17:15:25

hi Noa,

I noticed the immediate difference for my highs (I am a rapid cycler) and my '20 second mood swings' from my ADHD.

As for the cutting the bottom off the lows of my depressions, the effect was subtle and slow. It wasn't until I stopped taking the lithium for 3 days once, and the bottom fell out of my life, and I caught myself reaching for a handful of pills, did I realize that it must be the lithium that has stopped me from going so drastically low. Since resuming lithium, I have never gone anywhere that low again.

this is a guess Noa, but I'd give it at least 2 weeks for the depression.Goodluck! Thinking of you, Janice.

 

Re: Lithium, Day 7--Need input

Posted by S. Suggs on December 10, 1999, at 7:20:06

In reply to Lithium, Day 7--Need input , posted by Noa on December 9, 1999, at 17:15:25

Noa, Hang in there my friend. Janice obtained a fast response to lithium, mine was around 2 weeks or so, yours could be up to a month or so. Probably not, since you are already seeing some positive results now, it will most likely increase. The side effects are another question. As to whether they will subside or continue will be determined by time. Usually, but not always, the major thirst and urination problems you describe occur at higher levels, but we are all different individuals. The reason I am so much in favor of lithium is because of what it has done for me and countless others. Yes it is old, but with more evidence for success in treatment than you could read in a year. Keep us up to date with the daily post as you have been doing. Stick with it, and of course, many Blessings,

S. Suggs

 

Re: Lithium, Day 7--Need input

Posted by sean on December 10, 1999, at 19:29:13

In reply to Lithium, Day 7--Need input , posted by Noa on December 9, 1999, at 17:15:25

> Ok, seventh day, 3rd at current dose (300 am/600 pm). I think I noticed a tiny bit of improvement in the past couple of days, but nothing as noticeable as what Janice described above after three days on lithium.
>
> How long before I can possibly notice if it is working?

It can a long time for Lithium to work on mood swings
and/or depression. It works fastest on mania. I would
also be willing to bet it depends on your cycle
length. I'm currently taking neurontin and
noticed it working after about a month, which
makes sense because my cycle is about a month
long.
Good luck!

 

Re: Lithium, Day 8

Posted by Noa on December 10, 1999, at 20:58:44

In reply to Re: Lithium, Day 7--Need input , posted by sean on December 10, 1999, at 19:29:13

No mania here, just double depression. I really don't know exactly how frequenty my major depression cycle is, although this year, it seems to be more frequent, about once every 3 months it has been REALLY bad. The lithium is supposed to (hopefully) provide more AD effect, and maybe stop the cycling. If it works more quickly on mania, I guess I might have to wait to see effects on my depression.
OTOH, I am noticing slight bits of improvement every day. All this week I was pretty passive and very unproductive at work, couldn't motivate myself to get much done. But I noticed today that I was friendlier with people and even laughed and joked a bit. My friend told me this evening that I seem better. I am very impatient, tho, because my tolerance for the idea of my depression continuing is zero. I am terrified of it sticking around and getting worse again. I feel like a cat that has used up all nine lives...

 

Lithium worked for me!

Posted by Louise on December 11, 1999, at 19:42:30

In reply to Re: Lithium, Day 8, posted by Noa on December 10, 1999, at 20:58:44

Hi

hang in there. I was on Lithium for 3 years. The good news is that for the last 2 of these 3 years I was pretty much syptom free and after having been on just about every drug in the book in sequence for the last 4 years, I'm pleased to report that lithuim did the trick - I'm now symptom free and all I take is the odd chlorpromazine if I find mind working a bit too fast- this 'nips the problem in the bud' for me now and my mood has been stable for ages. As you get into the course, my experience was that I needed less and less other drugs to stop my mood swinging from mania to deep depressions. I also found that I was more sensitive to other drugs whike taking lithium - AD's and antipsychotics were more of a fine tuning device with the lithium providing the main barrier of sanity. I'm sorry I haven't read all of your thread. The side effects you might be getting (peeing, thirst, nausea etc. etc.) tend to settle down after a while - or you just get used to them, I'm not sure which! It will probably take a while for lithium to settle your mood down, especially if you're getting major swings, but persevere!
Also a warning - many people withdraw from lithium before finishing the course. Some studies have shown rapid (or early)withdrawal to precipitate relapse (usually into mania)at a rate much higher than the unmedicated reate for people with bi-polar illnesses.
It was really good for me to get to the stage that I was on lithium only, and even to be stable for such a long period of time. Generally, I felt that I was a bit flat while on lithium. My range of wanted moods as well as the unwanted ones was squashed a bit, but worth it. I feel abit more energetic and motivated now I'm off it, and it's good to be that way without getting high!

I did find that once my mood had settled, I felt more myself at the lower end of the theraputic range - as long as you stay in it, the safety net's still there.
The antidepressant effect of lithium to me seemed to be more of a preventative thing following an upswing. If I got really down I did need AD's as well earlier on in the course of treatment, but only for a few weeks or I just ended up shooting upwards in the other direction. It's good if your doctor is sensitive to this rather than prescribing 6 month courses of AD's when your mood just needs 'tweaking' to let the lithium do its work.
I did suffer from pretty bad nausea throughout when taking lithium. I just stuck at it and moaned a lot but it was worth it. I'm really glad I didn't give up.

Good luck - I hope it helps to hear of someone who lithium has worked so well for.

Louise


PS I don't know if you've read 'An unquiet mind' by Kay Redfield Jamieson - she's an expert on bi-polar illness and has the illness herself. I was surprised to read of how much she stopped and started with lithium (although she had sme nasty side effects) but it was a good read that you can identify with.

 

Re: Lithium worked for me!

Posted by Noa on December 11, 1999, at 23:08:40

In reply to Lithium worked for me!, posted by Louise on December 11, 1999, at 19:42:30

Thanks, Louise. It is good to hear from you about a good experience with lithium.

BTW,I don't have any high moods, just depression, and the lithium is an addition to my cocktail of ADs and thyroid meds. It is meant to hopefully add more AD effect and to stop my depressive cycling.

I have noticed little bits of improvement over the last few days.


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