Posted by twinleaf on April 26, 2008, at 23:07:03
In reply to Re: a med to try... » twinleaf, posted by raisinb on April 26, 2008, at 22:32:17
I'm mentioning it because 300 mg. of lithium helped me a lot, after I had had bad experiences with a number of SSRIs, SNRIs, tricyclics and APs. I haven't ever had a diagnosis of Bipolar, but the terrific doctor who prescribed the lithium said it's frequently helpful with MDD and even Atypical Depression.
The other very helpful thing he did was to look closely at my thyroid function. He wanted me to have a TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) level of not more than 1.00. We achieved this with supplemental T4 (Synthroid) and T3 (Cytomel). He especially wanted me (and all depressed patients) to take some of the thyroid replacement as T3- the form the body uses, and the form thought to be important in treating depression.These two things, which have been side-effect free for me, haven't banished the depression I was having, but they have moderated it quite a bit. I feel certain they have allowed me to work more effectively in therapy. I particularly appreciated the approach of giving medications in LOW doses!
poster:twinleaf
thread:825374
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20080423/msgs/825724.html