Posted by Mitch on November 14, 2001, at 0:07:32
In reply to Re: Need help-Lithium troubles » Mitch, posted by Chloe on November 13, 2001, at 18:26:19
> Hi
>
>
>
> Mitch,
> Hey, it has been a while. I guess I have just been lurking, I am not really feeling that well. These side effects are really awful. It seems every mood stabilizer takes it's toll on me, and it's usually my skin. I had a horrible time this summer with Trileptal. I was so photosenitive, and got actinic rashes after 5 minutes in the sun, and the hair pain on that was terrible too! Topomax caused severe bleeding ezcema on my hands and sore scalp and I got dry skin on lamictal. I have chronic dry skin and hair from Neurontin. So neurontin + Li is making me a total wreck. My scalp is literally on fire. it's amazing that I have a hair left on my head!
>
> So I think it boils down to me having really sensitive skin, and somehow my hair is very upset by all these meds and med changes. I can last a few months on a med, than i have to stop it due to side effects. I am really tired of all the changes followed by disappointments. I really like Li, but now I am not so sure what to do because of my hair pain. Though I think I am pretty much out of choices!
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> I have been trying to get off the neurontin, so I just have one drying agent, but I just feel so agitated when I decrease below 300mgs.
> My pdoc got a refering derm to prescribe Dermasmoothe fs which is fluocinolone Acetonide 0.01 percent. I am suppposed to put the oil on my head at night and sleep with the oil in my hair. It's for psoraisis. And I know I don't have that. I just have an intensely sore scalp. But perhaps the cortisone solution will calm my follicles down. One can only hope.
>
> In terms of the Li preparations, I think there must be a difference. The one I was switched to, the Eskalith CR is causing me to sweat/heat intolerance and I have awful nausea. Is this possible? I had none of that on the lithobid. Any thoughts?
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> Well, thanks for listening to my ramble. So nice to get a post from you. It's getting pretty close to your next "phase". Did you get a script for Wellbutrin yet? Or do you have something else planned?
>
> Thanks,
> Chloe
Hi Chloe,I think you ought to use that oil stuff the dermatologist recommended and see what happens. I doubt if it could hurt!
The difference between the two lithium preparations sounds really bizarro! It *could* be a dye that is in one and not the other that you might be allergic to (might be worth checking out).
You know I just thought about this-but the Eskalith CR are the 450mg tabs right? Well, I used to be on Lithobid back in the early 80's (up to 1800mg/day-six tabs a day) and I had a *little* diarrhea, but I was on the Eskalith 450mg tabs in the early 90's and I had a *lot* of gastrointestinal problems with it. Also-I think the Lithobid tabs actually contain some sodium to help offset some of the unhealthy ion "competition" of Lithium while it is absorbed (just stretching deep into long-term memory space here!).
Hey, I would just ask your pdoc to switch you back to Lithobid (IMO).Do you really think the Neurontin is hurting your skin? No doubt about it-it seems to *increase* oil and collagen in my skin.
As far as my next phase goes-it hasn't happened just yet. It has been unusually sunny here in the midwest-maybe that's it. I can start getting *fatigued* as early as the first week of November, but usually I don't really notice it until just after Thanksgiving. I am no doubt about it DEPRESSED by the first week of December. The 2nd and 3rd week it deepens rapidly until I am sleeping about 12 hrs a day and am completely unfocused, inattentive, and lethargic. FOOD-gobble gobble yum yum. CLOTHES-let's see if I can get into those jeans. WORK-don't care if I have a job, what's the point? I must say that when I was on Adderall during this time it was the most miraculously positive response I have ever had for seasonal depression (5mg/day). Wellbutrin worked for summertime seasonal depressive episode. I am going to plug for the WB for this one (winter).
Mitch
poster:Mitch
thread:84008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20011113/msgs/84181.html