Lithium????

Ok. I am new to this particular forum...I am always on the substance abuse forum on here though.

My question is ....Has anyone on here ever taken or been prescribed to Lithium???

My Doc just prescribed me to it today.  He is giving it to me to stabalize my moods.

I have gotten clean of self medicating with pain pills and xanax......a little over a month clean.

I have been taking (and still am for now) Seroquil and Klonopin for almost 2 years now regularly.

Eventually, after he sees how the lithium reacts with me and I get some blood work done to see if i am taking the correct levels of it...he wants to ween me off of the Seroquil and then later the Klonopin.....

Tell me ALL YOU KNOW ABOUT LITHIUM pleeeeeeeaaaaasssssseeeee??????

Thanks,
Jen~

[Bear13]

Well I can tell you that Seroquel is already a mood stabilizer... there are several people on this forum who are taking Lithium and have had fantastic results, although you need regular blood work and check ups with your doctor.....  I think that if you do well on the Lithium and taper of the Seroquel then the Klonopin you'll do just fine.....ILADVOCATE is pretty knowledgeble about this stuff... you could probably get a lot of info from him....  Good luck and congrats on your sobriety!

[bernie40]

I started on lithium just before Christmas and so far so good.  I have felt horrid today but on reflection do not think it is down to the lithium.

Lithium has been around for donkeys years and as long as the proper tests are done and you follow the instructions correctly then it is a good medication to be on.

There are very rare cases where people have bad reactions but I think this can be said for a lot of medications.

Seroquel is an anti-psychotic and not a mood stabiliser and is certainly not a stand alone treatment for BP.  Lithium and Depakote are the two main mood stabilisers.

Well done on getting clean, that shows real strength of character and a big welcome to the site :-)

[monkeyc]

If you do a search on the forum there is a very long post I wrote all about lithium - if you cant find it let me know and I will dig it up for you.

[freebird227]

I'll tell you what I know. It works for me.I have been on lithium for 7 years. There are different side affect for different people. The main one I find anoying is  stomache cramping and running to the bathroom. I drink lots of fluids. And thats about it. There is some weight gain so watch your portion controll The nice thing about lithium is that you can raise or lower your levels without  much concern.  As long as you know where your levels are For me lithium alone was  not enough,,so I also take Seroquel and Lamictal and I have Klonopin as needed I am Bipolar1 rapid cycler Congrats on getting clean

[vox_weps]

Let me just say it is a hard rode to quit self-medication and we are all proud of you. Here is the lithium shpiel;
Lithium is actually a chemical element in the periodic table of elements labeled as Li. It works by regulating the electrical impulses in your brain because it blocks particular ion channels to regulate firing of neruons. It also acts as a reuptake inhibitor for serotonin and one of it's metabolites, giving you a mood boost (very much like zoloft or celexa). This makes it effective for both mania and depression. It is one of the oldest and most prescribed drugs for bi-polar and borderline personality disorder. One of the glories of it is that it is not hard to begin or to quit, can be taken while coming off of other meds, and the side effects are minimal.

As for personal effectiveness, I found it to be a miracle. I was diagnosed bi-polar after being over-medicated and sedated on zoloft and hydroxizine (i don't recommend this). I was in a psychotic tailspin for a month and then I switched doctors and he put me on lithium, celexa, and klonopin. It was the silver bullet. I was stable for a year, until I put myself into such destructive psychological habits that I actually made it ineffective.

So, take it. People say it's out-dated but it is one of the original wonder drugs. There is a reason it's still in use. You might need other meds in combination but it is a good first step. Always get blood tests and communicate honestly with your doctor, and good luck.

[bastet56]

I was on lithium for over 10 yrs and other than the weight gain and the blood tests it was a piece of cake. The nicest thing was I could consume salt without worry as it keep your fluid levels up. Drink lots of fluids and watch out for hot weather and the sun. Good luck to you.

[adel_ezz]

>>makes it effective for both mania and depression.

I doubt that it's good for depression. Can you assert this doubtful fact ? If this right, then I may consider it eventually because it will be my final resort being BP1

thx.