Posted by Noa on December 9, 1999, at 11:18:23
In reply to Re: LITHIUM QUESTION, posted by S. Suggs on December 9, 1999, at 7:43:35
I am supposed to have blood levels checked after five days on current dose, which is 300 mg in the am and 600 mg at bedtime. I started with 300 in the am and then another 300 later in the day, that was for the first 4 days. I have been on the 300/600 for three days now. I was thinking of getting the levels tomorrow, since day 5 is a Saturday. I don't want to wait till Monday because I have a pdoc appt. next Thursday and I would like to have the results back in time for that appt.
I don't know if I get enought salt. I would assume I do since I don't consciously limit my sodium intake. I don't tend to add salt to food, but I do eat some prepared foods, like instant soups and soy burger type products, which have a ton of sodium.
I think part of the problem is the combined urinary effects of both the lithium carbonate and the effexor xr. The effexor seems to lower the threshold at which the signal/urge to go appears. So, instead of waiting until it is pretty full to signal me with the urge feeling, it sends the signal for just a small amount. Also, the urge is INTENSE, and the ability to postpone the flow of urine is weakened, so often I feel as though I am going to have an accident. In fact, sometimes I believe there is some leakage, because control is so hard when I am moving, say from sitting in the car to standing, etc. Yet another problem from the effexor is that once I sit down to urinate, there is a disconnect, and the signal to let the urine flow doesn't seem to work. I have to focus really hard to make it happen. And often a trip to the bathroom takes a while. Then, I'll get up, wash up and leave the bathroom, only to have to turn around and pee again, only for a small amount.So, you can see that because of the problems from the effexor, which I tolerated before, the whopping increase in volume from the lithium is complicated. I feel like I spend more time going to the bathroom than doing anything else. This is actually one of the reasons I was reluctant to go on lithium once I realized I needed a mood stablizer. I anticipated this problem. The only think I still wonder is, is it possible that this effect will calm down after a while? I know there have been negative effects from other meds I am on that went away after a few weeks.
poster:Noa
thread:16441
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/19991123/msgs/16500.html