Starting Lithium

Hey again everyone! I have yet another question, hopefully you guys can help me out with this.
My psychiatrist met with me this past Monday and between her, my girlfriend, and I we agreed that trying a new medication was a good idea. So I'm now starting lithium while getting off depakote but still taking celexa. I was wondering what the average dose of lithium is for people. I know that it depends on blood serum levels and so there won't be a real right answer but I was just wondering.
I was also curious about side effects, it hasn't been a week and I'm on a low dose and yet I already have 3 of them. Is this normal?
And also when do the blood tests start? I don't see my doctor again until the 2nd week of July but she didn't order any blood tests for me between now and then.
Sorry for all the questions and thanks for the help.

[adel_ezz]

i haven't tried lithium myself, but there is some agreement that it's the best worldwide. usually you start by 200-300 and increase the dose to a least 600 yet some say they are on a lower dose and is enough. toxicity starts after 1.2 level in blood usually they want 0.6-1 to function. There are folks here on lithium and doing well. As to side effects, tremors, thirst, dry mouth, hypothyrodism, insomnia, ... etc.. they are common. Once you decide to take lithium don't look behind, i remember some good posts by monkeyc a famous in this forum. At least if it worked for 1 week then you are lucky because i couldn't tolerate it from the 1st pill. usually after 2 weeks you do your 1st test then a month then every 3 months as far as i remember. one thing good about lithium that if it works then forget about your problems i.e. very reliable.

when i read posts here i become really happy because from your questions i see that the pdocs elsewhere are no better than ours.

[vickie5989]

First, how did you find out you had Bipolar.  When I first started taking Lithium I would get a blood test at least once a month just to check my Lithium level.  So far so good. At first I was taking 300mg twice a day - but I was dragging all over the place.  Then they gave celexa and take that with the Lithium.  I've been taking that for about 7 months and things seem okay.  I'm better than I use to be but my memory is declining.  At first I did have tremors because I was taking too much lithium.  I would suggest if you start feeling the side effects of tremors, thirst, insomnia, halliculations call your doctor.

[Xila31]

I am on lithium.

I was started on 600 mg once a day and then after I showed I was testing good they put me up to 1200 mg twice a day.

[rBoulet]

I found out I had bipolar from my psychiatrist. When I was 17 I got admitted to hospital for what I now know was a manic episode but back then I was diagnosed with psychosis NOS. I'd been going to psychiatrists and been in and out of hospital multiple times and about two years ago I was diagnosed with borderline personality. In January of this year I started seeing a new doctor and she changed my diagnosis to bipolar disorder and she's been treating me for it since.
Thanks for all your posts by the way,