Posted by steve on March 12, 2001, at 16:37:54
In reply to How to discontinue lithium?, posted by Lin on March 11, 2001, at 14:54:40
> I have heard conflicting views on how to best discontinue lithium. Is it necessary to taper down, or can one abruptly stop with no risks except for a relapse of a manic or depressed state?
I am not an enemy of biological psychiatry; phenomena such as dexamethasone nonsuppression in melancholic depressives are indisputable
Having said that I have found Dr. Breggin's book "Your drug may be your problem" in which he describes the many side-effects, and withdrawal sydnromes caused by medicines, to be a great help.
I strongly disagree with Breggin's denial of biologically based mental suffering, but I think he is one of the few who is willing to chronicle to just what degree psychopharmacological research is an extension of big pharma's marketing, and what sort of side-effects do occur when ingesting their product.
Among other things he mentions, is that people who have taken anti-psychotics for prolonged periods of time, even for non psychiatric usages such as tics are prone to become psychotic if they suddenly discontinue the garbage. Of course the venal BS artists that present themselves as "objective" researchers don't make a big deal out of this, and so frequently patients who abruptly discontinue their meds are found to "clearly need" their meds, and usually at even higher doses, when all they actually need is a slower taper and competent doctor ( a rarity.)
He also quotes a reknowned doctor who testified that benzodiazepines were completely safe, with an addiction rate of less than 5 per million. While the promoted compounds have changed the sleazy doctors are unsupportable BS has stayed the same.
I'd recommend you get his book with its well-footnoted pages devoted to lithium withdrawal.
Hope this helps,
poster:steve
thread:56224
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010310/msgs/56306.html