Posted by Squiggles on November 2, 2006, at 9:31:15
In reply to Re: Bipolars: Lithium levels, dosage and adjuncts. » Squiggles, posted by ronaldo on November 2, 2006, at 9:05:09
...
> Hi Squiggles,
>
> Thanks for your reply. Do you take a controlled or sustained or extended release form of Lithium?No, just regular.
I was surprised to hear that you split your dose in three. Have you always done so?
Yes. The theory that taking it all at once supports the kidneys from glomuronephritis is now obsolete. (see Goodwin and Jamison, "Manic-Depressive Illness" Oxford U. Press);
I have scheduled my drug intake on a regular basis. My experience is that changing that can actually bring on drug-loading side effects. Also, lithium at 900mg in one dose may effect the heart and gut adversely.Which lithium brand do you take?
Carbolith ICNP
I take all my lithium in one dose, 900 mg, at 9.30 pm with my olanzapine 10 mg. That's all I take. Never had thyroid problems luckily.Well, if it agrees with you -- that's good;
My thyroid dose at 0.112mg is at least 10 yrs.
old so it has not been a degenerative thyroid
condition.
>
> Do you, or have you ever suffered from flat affect or avolition or anhedonia? (avolition = a psychological state characterized by general lack of desire, motivation, and persistence) social withdrawal? apathy?I have heard so many people say that about
lithium. No, I have not. Perhaps I was just
way to "vivacious" before, lol :-) No kidding,
it could be the dose.Psychologically, i find lithium just fine -- i just don't like the physical side effects.
I have got the whole lot and the purpose of this thread (for me) is to try and find a way out of this depression-like situation.
>
> If anyone has been through this and found a way out of it then I would dearly like to know how they managed it.
>
If lithium is not treating your depression, then
you better check the dose, the dx, and the possibility of asking for an adjunct. It's possible you have depression. I am sorry to sound so negative about diagnosis, but in psychopharmacology it does seem to be a situation of matching the numbers.Good luck.
Squiggles
poster:Squiggles
thread:699709
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20061028/msgs/699743.html