Oh, Lithium...

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Up until recently, I've been on Lithium 900mg for mood disorder and motility. It killed my thyroid levels so I was prescribed Armour Thyroid and I also took Amiloride to prevent the drug from accumulating in my kidneys. Whether or not I have full-blown bipolar or only features of the disorder is unknown.

In March, I was instructed to slowly taper off the drug. My whole med profile was turned upside down...I was now taking fewer and much cleaner drugs. I was thrilled. However, now that I'm completely rid of it, my life has been an absolute disaster. I've been missing school, crying every night, staying in bed for days...I'm completely dysfunctional. Tonight, my doctor advised me to start back on Lithium immediately. As much as I hate being on it, I know that I need it. That thought alone is depressing. I hate being dependent on it, but it seems to do what no other psychotropic med can do for me. I don't know what my hang up about it is...I guess it has such a bad rap that it worries me, even though my blood is checked nearly every month and I take the other pills to protect me.

Anyone else had a similar experience?

have you thought about trying to get on a trial of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation TMS]? this so far has offered the amount of depression relief of Electro-Convulsive Therapy [ECT] but with none of ECTs memory-affecting side effects.

whhat.. bad rep? i like it. i guess. you're right though, it is kinda annoying to be dependent on it. i take a muchh larger dose however, and i also take amiloride; i have to have both or i start to go off the deep end.. ...but it's whatever.

My doctor has never mentioned it. I don't know...it sounds a little extreme. I know that type of treatment has come a long way from when it started, but the idea is kind of frightening.

Well, whenever it comes up in conversation (I know several people dealing with depression and bipolar), I always get a negative reaction. I know I shouldn't let it bother me. Besides that it's just such a heavy duty med. I worry about what its doing to my body. I mean, I've already found that it can wreak havoc on your thyroid and kidneys...I can't imagine what it must do to your liver after long time use.

I used to be a bit of a social drinker. It helped relieve some of my social anxiety and let me enjoy myself and now I can't even do that. I can't even go out at all anymore. The one time I did drink on it I started hallucinating and was almost put in the hospital. I can't even take so much as an aspirin without consulting my doctor. Not fun at all.

I have a mood disorder, but I am not bipolar. I take 200 mg of Epitec per day and it keeps me stable. It is a generic equivalent of what is called Lamictal in America. (I also take folic acid, because hair loss is a side-effect for some people, including me.)

I also used to take Ripserdal (risperidone) for anxiety, and I have mostly recovered from that, so I don't need it anymore.

I have a friend who is bipolar and his doctor took him off Lithium and he is now on a high dose of the same thing (another local brandname, Lamictin). He has had no manic or depressive states for a very long time, and feels that this medication is very effective.

Have you ever been prescribed something like this (in a sufficiently high dose)?

I am also on Lamictal - 200mg, as well as Haloperidol - 1mg. When taken off Lithium I tried functioning solely on these. While my meltdowns weren't completely as disastrous as they were before I started meds, they didn't seem to do much to help. I need the Lithium.

hmmmmm. ive never had an issue with drinking and lithium simultaneously, that's not what i like to hear though. sounds like there's documentation about lithium and liver damage..

Are you dealing with the sensory issues as well? These are a big contributor towards meltdowns for me (although they are not the only factor).

I do have hypersensitivity to sound which can lead to panic attacks and trigger some meltdowns, but they pale in comparison to stress related ones. I live with a roommate who helps me out a lot, but I generally have to fend for myself financially and academically. It doesn't help that I am very easily overwhelmed. The meltdowns can get so bad I become suicidal and end up in the psych ward.