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Lithium is a mood stabilizer

I am just so confused right now. The first time I went with hubby to the Dr to get some more Xanax I had pointed out to the Dr that Hubby is bipolar and if he could put him on some Lithium. Just to let you know this is a new Dr Hubby has. The Dr instead put him on Tegretol 100.

 

Now this is what I have observed since he started taking the Tegretol:

 

From word go hubby seemed a lot calmer and the next time we went to the Dr I had told the Dr that he was 95% better. At the time he didn't have too much stress at work. Now there is heaps of stress at work and his moods go from one extreme to another.

 

Let's take last night for an instant. Everything was fine, we were chatting away, he then started talking about work and started talking about one of the guys at his work, how if he(guy from work) didn't move his car tomorrow so hubby can come home that he would get something out of his car then ask him again to move the car and if he still wouldn't move his car that he would then smash on of his headlights. I hate it when he starts talking like that so I started playing a game on the computer as that tends to calm me down, I also told him that I didn't like it when he starts talking like that. After a while he went to have a shower, came back in and destracted me from the game I was playing, I was then told that the game was more important then him. Then all of a sudden he started on me, saying that I don't care about our birds, that I don't look after them properly and so on. Then things started heating up even more, he started calling me a bitch, that's when I turned my computer off and went outside to get away from him, as I was walking out the door he told me  "yeah go on run off again" I told him that I don't like being called a bitch and I didn't want him to ever call me that again. I went outside to have a cigarette then I came into the kitchen to give our parrots some clean water and change the trays. He came in there told me to leave his birds alone, he wants to divorce me, I'm nothing but a lying piece of sh%$, and so on. He had me in tears. After a while he went to bed but still kept going on so I called out and said " Tell those voices to shut up" ( He has told me time and time again that he hears voices that tell him stuff and that if he is ever like this to just ignore him but how can I do that when he follows me around to pick a fight??)

 

The thing that I am wondering now is: Should the Dr of prescribed him the Lithium to help with that?

 

I mean I can't take much more of this. I usually walk away and leave him alone when he is in this kind of mood, he doesn't always have a go at me but when he does then sometimes me walking away doesn't even work and we end up in a huge fight cause I can't just let him verb. abuse me.

3/17/09 7:50pm

Your correct, lithium is a mood stabilizer and as far as I know is the only true mood satabilizer, having an effect on both symptoms of mania and depression.

 

Doctors make their choices based on patient reports, observations and their education  and experience.  One doctor prefers this and one that, based on these varaiables and others.

 

There is nothing wrong with lithium, though it does not work with all individuals.  Your husband may do well on it or not.  The behavior you described would indicate that lithium by itself, at this time, may not be enough to treat his symptoms and have a timely effect.

 

If your husband's symptoms have become worse after seeing the doctor, you should make another appointment and ask him to re-evaluate his condition.  At that time you can ask him about considering lithium and his reasoning why he did or will not consider it.

 

Good luck...

Anonymous
tabby
3/17/09 9:47pm

Lithium is a mood stabilizer

Tegretol is an anti-convulsant used as a med stabilizer for Bipolar but originally was for Epilepsy

Lithium is the oldest known drug solely for Bipolar and it is mainly for mania not for Depression though for some - not all - it helps with depression as well.

 

That all being said

Bipolar affects and effects each person differently because each person is different.  In that each person is different, each medication given will effect and affect each person that takes it differently than it does the person standing next to.  While one med works swell for John, it might work horrendously for Jane.

 

Even when our meds are working well, and our moods are seeming to balance out a bit - any type of stress or anxiety or pressure from any outside source can tip the scale.  It can tip it really really badly or tip it only slightly.  Any type, minor or major from any source or any person and sometimes there is no rhyme or reason as to what it is or who it is or why it happened one time and not the other.

 

Your husband is experiencing stress at work and possibly stress from somewhere else.  He needs to relieve his stress in order to de-escalate his symptoms.

 

Yes... HIM speaking to his pdoc and you questioning the pdoc both about his meds is a good thing.  It may be that he needs an adjustment of the meds he is currently on OR he may need something added or something taken away.  He could even need a complete overhaul... but the pdoc needs to be aware that he is becoming aggressively hostile to his coworkers and that his verbal aggression to you is escalating.

 

You are correct... you do not deserve to be verbally abused regardless of whether he is symptomatic or not.  Yet, when folks are symptomatic and it is intensfying.. the mouth takes over, inhibition is lost, and very ugly vile things are spewed.  It isn't right, it isn't fair but it is what it is.

 

You do not deserve to be verbally or physically abused irregardless.

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