Posted by dragonblack on May 17, 2011, at 14:50:46
In reply to Re: Regular Lithium: better than ER... » dragonblack, posted by SLS on May 17, 2011, at 4:40:09
> > > Nice to meet you! Thanks for the introduction. Glad you are doing better (wow--med-free. Whew. How did you manage?), and looking towards improvement.
> > >
> > > I am currently dealing with MDD and c-ptsd. I was dx'd BPnos for years. Who knows? I have BP I relatives.
> > >
> > > I know that song, too : P
> > >
> > > Best of luck with your recovery, and see you around :-)
> >
> > Going off meds, which I was terrified of doing and unable to prevent, was tons of fun. It was pretty bad, actually, and I started drinking again after 22 months sober (which honestly helped me get through it - I don't feel too bad about it, other than the loss of the symbolic time quantity). It did allow me to trace my headaches and migraines to my prior med combo (Wellbutrin XL, Trileptal - the combo itself, I think...?), so that turned out to be a huge help. Also, since going up to 900 mg lithium I haven't even wanted a drink, which is bizarre. I keep reading that there's no evidence that lithium helps alcoholics...I've NEVER not wanted a drink before.
> >
> > I was (mis)diagnosed as MDD too, repeatedly! Ah, multiple years of AD monotherapy - those were the days! : )
> >
> > Take care,
> >
> > db
>
>
> Alcoholism and bipolar disorder are often comorbid. If depression drives alcohol consumption, perhaps reducing depression will also reduce alcoholic behaviors. Effective treatment with lithium might therefore help with alcoholism, but only if it is associated with bipolar disorder (and perhaps unipolar depression). The other possibility is that lithium targets processes that have nothing to do with depression. As you noted, though, you found no evidence of this. Whatever it is, I hope for you continued success.
>
>
> - ScottIt's pretty complicated, and I could expound at length on my theories regarding alcohol use and abuse and my newfound lithium effect. I'll spare you that... : )
Thanks - and I hope you are finding/having some success of your own.
poster:dragonblack
thread:985426
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20110515/msgs/985547.html