Posted by barbaracat on June 23, 2005, at 21:54:51
In reply to stopping lithium » barbaracat, posted by yesac on June 23, 2005, at 16:00:50
I ask myself the same question. When I first started lithium and everytime I started up again, I was in a very bad place physically and emotionally, had to stop work, bad fibromyalgia depression, bipolar mixed states depression. Pretty awful.
Since then, in the last few years, I've been on a quest to figure out my fibromyalgia and the thing that kept coming up was hormones way out of balance - every one of them, including human growth hormone. I take thyroid hormone, bioidentical sex hormones, I inject myself with human growth hormone. I've finally gotten all of them in balance and am feeling physically and emotional better than in the last 10 years.
When this screw up with my refill happened, a little voice (hmmm, hearing voices are we?) spoke up and wondered how much all that hormonal imbalance had to do with my symptoms. So, I'm curious is mainly the reason. If I am bipolar but if I can manage my symptoms as others have learned to do, I'd rather do it that way. I think physical health and balance has so much to do with it and I didn't have that before, whereas I do now.
The only major side effect I've had with Li has been the rollercoaster thyroid ride but it's been enough. I'm already hypothyroid and I'd like to prevent more damage.
I got my prescription refilled and I'll be titrating off very slowly. I'm no fool - I've quit cold turkey before and that's a recipe for disaster. If I start obviously skidding I've got an attentive husband and friends who won't hesitate to force feed me the stuff. I've also got the time and support structure right now. Not working, summmer time, lots to keep me busy. It will be interesting. I still feel Lithium is the best thing that happened to me - but that was then and I'm interested in how it will go now. I'll keep you posted. - Barbara
> Why do you want to stop lithium? I thought that it was the best thing that ever happened to you? I realize that you don't have a choice right now because of your doctor not calling in the refill.... but other than that? Do you think you'll be better off without it?
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> I'm not trying to be patronizing, I just don't quite understand why you want to stop.
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poster:barbaracat
thread:509665
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050622/msgs/517772.html