Posted by Squiggles on March 6, 2002, at 22:13:27
In reply to SQUIGGLES - thanks and more: » Squiggles, posted by Janelle on March 6, 2002, at 19:55:45
> Squiggles:
>
> THANK YOU ever so much for sharing your experience with lithium. It is indeed a long one (20+ years, which means you started on it way before meds such as Depakote, Lamictal, Neurontin, etc. began to be used for BiPolar).Hi Janelle,
You're very welcome. I had NO idea that all these
drugs were post-lithium - thanks for englightening me.
>
> I have previously been diagnosed with HYPOthyroid and am on an excellent thyroid supplement which has both T3 and T4. The doc says that because I'm already on thyroid med I shouldn't have any problem with the Lithium lowering my thyroid.I suppose that may be true. It takes a few years
to become hypothyroid on lithium IF you do; I think
lower than 10% due develop hypothyroidism, which is
interesting as the thyroid is implicated in depression
and some research has been done on that at least at
McMaster University, as far as I know.
>
> How wonderful it is to hear that you have not had ONE day of depression since taking lithium. Wow, what a testament.I know - it sounds like a hyperbole, but it's true -
depression has not been the problem - bringing the
thyroid to match the lithium has.>
> You mentioned weight gain as a side effect, and I'm wondering how much weight gain?Some of the weight gain is due to benzos - esp.
the RIVOTRIL, but mostly I think the lithium -
partly the salt, the water, and maybe the thyroid,
I would say, in 20 years, 40 lbs overweight, gradually.
>
> You also said your dosage is 900mg per day haivng started at 1200 mg. WOW - my doctor is *only* having me take 100 mg of Lithobid (sustained release Lithium) -- I'm starting to think this is hardly enough to make any kind of difference??It sounds bizarre - is the lithium being used
as a supplement to some other AD perhaps? The
li has to be in a therapeutic range to work
and that is average 900 mg.
>
> Then again, I'm also on an anti-depressant (EffexorXR) and I've heard that Lithium can augment anti-depressants, so maybe a small dose of Lithium combined with the a-d will work for me. HmmmmOK I did not see that - 100 li is tiny - wonder
if it just takes the edge off a speedy AD? don't know
much about Effexor ...
>
> Do you have your blood tested regularly for Lithium level?At first it was very regular and frequent; now
it is regular (once a year);Is there a certain level above which it is TOXIC?
Anything above 1.5 is toxic.
I have a site if you would like to look at info.
on lithium:http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Lithium/
>
> What about liver and kidney tests?Yes, kidney and thyroid along with li.
Liver? The stuff is not metabolized at all-
the only drug of its type that is not metabolized
but goes straight through the kidneys.Squiggles
poster:Squiggles
thread:96752
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020301/msgs/96812.html