Posted by vanvog on April 8, 2013, at 23:12:13
In reply to doc saia only high dose lithium works....., posted by Jeroen on April 7, 2013, at 17:59:54
Lithium is all about your blood serum levels. The sweet spot is somewhere between 0.6 and 1.2. Good doctors will take into consideration your age, weight, previous history with medications (if any), and just how freakin manic you are at the time to determine where to start you. Lazy doctors will start you at 900mg a day if youre mildly crazy and 1800mg a day if youre climbing the walls.
Unless you or your family member has utterly lost it with mania, Im for starting out at 450mg a day for controlled-release versions (Eskalith CR, Lithobid, Duralith, etc.), 300mg a day for immediate release. That is highly unlikely to get you near the therapeutic level of 0.6, but it does allow you to acclimate to the lithium. After a week you get a blood level and you see where you need to go. Probably up, but you never know.
poster:vanvog
thread:1041838
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20130408/msgs/1041923.html