Lithium Update

Dear GJ,

 

I took lithium way back in 1979 and continued until a doctor suggested, in 2001, neurontin to cover pain as well as my bipolar 1.  By that time my thyroid was destroyed (I take synthroid to replace it).  The only thing that really bothered me was tremor. I found it a little embarrassing.

 

It wasn't until I read Dr. Kay Redford Jamison's autobiography that I realized that the prophylactic dose of lithium had muffled my awareness of the fine things in life, as it had for her.  It was as if a lid was firmly holding me down.  As a bipolar 1, I did not take it kindly.

 

 I became unable to read a novel, I who, as an English major, had read two novels a week for my American and English novel courses. I could read a magazine article or a short story, but it seemed my reading days were essentially over, especially after my lithium toxicity experience.

 

After a couple of years on neurontin my reading capacity returned with a vengeance----I can't get enough.  But the writing skills, which were good enough to get the nod from a department head at the Los Angeles Times in the '70's, have died.  All I can do is write short letters or journal entries.

 

BUT!  I never had another bipolar break.  I raised my two boys alone and they are FINE!

 

  Life is sometimes a trade-off and nobody can judge for  us what is right and good in an individual situation.  We can only "trust our gut" and assess our knowledge of ourselves, our psychiatrist and sprinkle in the spice of what we learn from the experience of others..   My favorite "spice" is Jamison, because she struggled so against lithium, until she made her "deal with the devil."  She ought to be required reading right along with John McManamy.

 

Best of luck!

 

I take Lithium and Lamictal, as well as Abilify, Diabex and Diamicron. I would like to share my experience with Lithium and Lamictal - along with how I cope, or don't cope, with combining the above medications.

 

I have epilepsy, diabetes, and bipolar type 1: mixed states, rapid cycling, predominantly depressive. I only share this in order to give an adequate perspective on what I say later.

 

In 2003 I began taking Lithium and I began on Lamictal around March of 2006.

 

For most of my life I took Dilantin as the primary drug for  epilepsy, however I struggled with severe symptoms of poor memory and 'foggy' thinking. So we began looking for a  replacement for Dilantin, choosing Lamictal as it is an excellent primary drug for epilepsy.

 

We also chose Lamictal as it is a mood stabiliser. We figured that Lamictal and Lithium would work well together. At least most of the scientific documentation seemed to indicate this to me as well as my psychiatrist.

 

In Australia, Lamictal is not prescribed as a psychiatric medication, so my neurologist and psychiatrist worked together on this project - getting me onto Lamictal in conjunction with the Lithium for epilepsy. In other words my neurologist prescribed Lamictal in consultation with the other doctor.

 

In 1992, when first diagnosed, I trialled Lithium along with Prozac. After around a month I stopped Lithium as I convinced myself that the side effects I thought I was experiencing were too severe. In reality they were predominantly symptoms I would have experienced from the illness anyway. Also the side effects frightened me so much I ran away instead of perservering.

 

Alas, the decision to stop Lithium all those years ago is one I deeply regret.

 

When I reintroduced Lithium into my drug regime, I experienced most of the known side effects and still struggle with weight gain. However there are other reasons for that as well.

 

However the benefits of taking Lithium, for me, far outway its side effects. Even when I simultaneously experience extreme agitation along with soul destroying depression I feel as though I have a safety net underneath me.

 

While enduring what I describe as a 'black horror of living death' when this insidious illness is at its worst - I still have a better quality of life than I otherwise would have. Also, I seem to get to the other side a little quicker, not much but just a little. I have a slightly clearer mind now that I'm on both Lamictal and Lithium.

 

Lithium does have a narrow therapeutic window and I need to monitor it via pathology tests. Yet that has only been a few times a year for me. I did try taking Lithium at a sub therapeutic dose but it did not work for me.

 

Aristotle said, "Those who wish to succeed must first ask the right preliminary questions".

 

The way I manage my drug regime is to ask questions. I ask questions of the available scientific research, and of my doctors. I seek out knowledge in order to ask questions of it. It was me who sent letters to my neurologist and psychiatrist asking questions about Lithium and Lamictal.

 

When you do your own research and collaborate with your doctors it helps you to own the decisions you make about your drugs and life.

 

Hope this helps in some way.

 

Peter.

I started on lithium over a month ago.  My dosage was 900mg.  I was having side effects of nausea, vomitting, blurry vision and hand tremors.  After a bit these eased off excepted for the stomache upset.  My doc moved me to 1200mg and that was not accepted by my body at all.  I backed down to 900 after talking to him.  I went to see him a few weeks ago where he moved me back up to 1200 split between am & pm.  I was tolerating it during the day but the evening I was still having stomache trouble.  Then all went south.  I felt like I was toxic.  My whole body trembles, nausea, no focus, etc.  I took myself off it completely since this fell over Thanksgiving holiday.  I am still on seroquel but I do not think that I can tolerate Lithium ever again.  I felt awful and that is just not what these medications are supposed to do.

 

Debbie 

Is your anxiety about taking any meds, particularly lithium, adding to your perception that you are feeling worse instead of better?

 

Do you feel guilty about your history of recreational drug use, so much so that you may be undermining yourself with less is better/anti-drug approach?  It's like the hippie eating all organic vegan food but still smoking the "pure organic herb" flown in from Mexico.

 

I hate lithium.  I like lithium.  Tremors, GI upsets, headache, grogginess... Yuck!  

 

They go AWAY with time for me.  Unless I get dehydrated.  Or need more salt in my diet.  Weight?  Hate it.  I could blame Seroquel for that and a lot of other stuff, but that's another post.

 

Myself, maybe you, have a low threshold for getting manic.  If you see the list of meds I take on my profile, you'll understand.  I can feel myself going up, up, up until I bump into what I call the lithium ceiling.  I like how lithium can do this.  I have faith that it will work.

 

Lithium is cheap.  Should something ever happen and we're all in the end of days, I'll stockpile it.

 

If your doctor has suggested lithium several times in the past, it's probably a good idea to it a fair shake as you are now.

 

Someone mentioned Kay Redfield's Jamison's memoir "An Unquiet Mind".  I fully endorse reading it, and her other books as well.  I had the opportunity to hear her speak while on a book tour.  Afterward, asked if she could sign one of her older books for me.  It was "Night Falls Fast: Understanding Suicide".  I told her it helped save my life.  And she looked up and made eye contact, a pause, then signed "I'm glad it helped."

 

Lithium was Dr. Jamison's friend and enemy.  Even she, a brilliant mind in the field of psychiatry, and a victim of the disease  took several years to get on graceful terms with it.  I felt in awe of her experiences and knowledge, so to know that she is also human makes me much less alone.

 

Love it or hate it.  It will control bipolar symptoms to some degree or another.

 

I'm still looking for the magic bullit. 

Lithium to me has been a miracle worker. I have taken it for years but be careful that you take a Lithium level blood testevery couple of months. My Dr. forgot about that for several months and I became toxic.  I felt miserable for about 6 months and lost my job because I couldn't concentrate.  At the time I thought I had had a stroke because I had all the symptons.  If you take to much you will become like a zombie. Thanks for sharing.

 

I have heard over & over that lithium is still the gold star treatment for Bipolar 1 and Lamictal is apparently the best treatment for Bipolar 2.  So far, I find the Lamictal to be very helpful for my moods & am interested in learning more about Lithium.  My pdoc has said he doesn't mind prescribing it only as an add-on, to hopefully minimize its side effects.  We may be doing this in the near future, so I am very interested in following your progress! 

 

  I was Lithium from 1999 till August of this last year it was working fine, till the heat of the summer. When it would get hot in the summers my levels would go up ,not a good thing. One summer it had me in the Hospital with heat stroke and the next summer I was in Hospital again because my levels went crazy. This last August i was at work an had to leave because something was happening with my levels again. The Doctor said it can be because of the heat and working nights. I was fired over this an I was put on a new med.it is called lamtrigine. So far I really like it I have had no hepo problems. And I am sleeping more sounder at night it has not dulled my senses. It has given a new freedom, I am awear of many more things with being on this med.  My dreams are better and I really like not being tired. For years Lithium worked but after a few year it stopped working.  Talk to you doctor about Lamotrigine , my hands are fine and no hempo times. I wish you luck, But also beware of this med.

I took Lithium for 32 years.  I was never able to take it alone - did not work toward sleep or depression.  Weight gain, yes!  After 32 years my kidneys failed to excrete it and I had a build-up of 4X as much as I should have had and had a stroke.  Overing that, I was put on Seroquel 300 mg. daily together with Zoloft 100 mg. daily.  Out of this I also developed low potassium and take med for that.  Three years on this and much better, much happier, much more stable and alive and having weight loss.  There can be life after Lithium!!!!!

I WOULD LIKE TO ADD TO WHAT YOU HAVE WRITTEN BUT MY BRAIN IS FOGGY AND WILLING TO ACCEPT WHAT YOU HAVE SAID WITH NO ABILITY TO CHALLENGE OR ADD TO IT.

I HAVE BEEN ON 300MGS LITHIUM DAILY FOR 2YRS. I AM NOW REALIZING THAT I AM BECOMING LESS AND LESS INVOLVED IN LIFE, ITS AS THOUGH THE BASE LINE NEVER MOOVES UP OR DOWN OTHER THAN QUIET SADNESS.

PEOPLE USED TO SEE ME AS ADVENTUROUS, LIVING A BIT ON THE EDGE........ ALASS I AM  NOW BORING AND JUST GOING FROM DAY TO DAY IN A FOG.

I FEEL ANNOYED THAT I AM BP, I FEEL TRAPPED INN THE CONDITION AND FROM THE AFFECTS OF THE LITHIUM THAT IS HELPING ME...????

MY FAMILY APPRECIATE THAT I AM MILDER, I DO TOO,

 HOWEVER I AM NOT ME, MY BROKEN BRAIN IS BEING CONTROLLED AND THE REST OF ME IS GOING ALONG WITH IT. I AM FINDING I HAVE LESS AND LESS PERSONALITY, I KNOW IT STILL EXCISTS, BUT I AM NOT ABLE TO USE IT.

I THINK I AM DECIDING TO CONFORM BUT YET I THINK I HAVE NO SAY IN THE MATTER. EVERY THING I REALISE I ALSO REALISE THE OPPOSITE, WHICH IS MAKING ME UNABLE TO MAKE DICISSIONS OR TO BE SURE THAT WHAT I CHOOSE AS BEING CORRECT IS CORRECT, IT COULD BE WRONG.........I DONT KNOW.

I DONT TRUST MY OWN THOUGHTS OR FEELINGS.....MAYBE THEY ARENT REALY MINE, MAYBE THEY ARE THE PRODUCT OF THE CHEMICALS IN MY BROKEN BRAIN........ AS THOUGH I WERE A COMPUTER THAT SOMEONE IS TYPING IN THE WORDS. I WONDER HOW CLOSE TO CRAZY DOES THIS GET? I FEEL VERY CONTROLLED AND I DONT LIKE IT, HOWEVER THE ALTERNATIVE IS TO GO BACK TO BEING ANGRY AND OUT OF CONTROLL. IT IS ALMOST AS THOUGH I AM ABLE TO OBSERVE MYSELF STAND OUTSIDE OF MYSELF AND SEE ME

ALMOST OBJECTIVELY. IS THAT POSSIBLE???? OR IS THAT LITHIUM CREATING MY THOUGHTS? HOW CAN I KNOW?  ALSO DOES ANYONE KNOW OF ANYTHING HOMEOPATHIC THAT WOULD HELP ME?

THANK YOU,

SAANDRA

Lithium turned out great for me. My main problem now is my kidneys, and what med do I take next. How dangerous, how much damage? Help? I took lamictal 20yrs ago it worked but I OD on it. With litium no weight gain, I had everything go smooth.