LITHIUM

In addition to bipolar, for which I take Lithium stabilizer which treats the mania, and Mirtazapine anti-depressant, I have another health issue for which I need medicine.

This stacks my meds, on top of a third health condition which does not tolerate medicine very well. So I know what you mean when you don't want to take too much medicine.

So you talk about facing a nightmare, which you haven't, but that is where I am.

My third condition got worse in the last year, so that this condition even less cannot tolerate the medicines I already take. So this taking of all my medicine is getting kind of tense.

I'm suppose to take doctor's Vitamin D, but it makes my 3rd condition worse. Net says castor oil, 1 teaspoon a day is suppose to give you all the Vitamin D you'll need, other websites says it can give you more than you need, so you'll have to check which is right.

So I take that in small amounts during the day, maybe 1/3rd of what I'm suppose to take, or 1/3rd of a teaspoon may be enough, hope to get some Vitamin D through food.

My blood pressure medicine, suppose to take 2 a day. Now, with the added problem, if I take 2 a day I can't hardly think. So I try one a day, until the chest starts hurting, then I take the 2nd.

On my anti-depressant, Mirtazapine, I started on 15mg a day, muscle spasms, toes twitching, and hunger outbursts both 15 minutes after taking that med. Told doctor, she cut me back to 7.5mg at night. And it still works, so I didn't need the additional 7.5mg of that.

Now we're down to Lithium. I take 675mg of that a day, mostly at night.

You say, "In addition to causing drowsiness at 900mg/day, lithium is said to cause a feeling of full stomach and bloating have you felt this? did you continue taking 900mg or did you reduce the dose?"

I don't have those feelings from taking my Lithium, so I would definitely bring that up with your psychiatrist. Some of those milligrams might be luxury and can be reduced, as was the case with my 15mg of Mirtazapine. I only needed 7.5mg.

I think there may be a 750mg pill of Lithium, you can look on the net.

I rem. my psychiatrist telling me and seeing my numbers of, you say the books say blood level range is 0.6 to 1.20 for Lithium, but I don't remember what they are. So I don't know if you can go lower than 0.6 or not.

You say, "Have any of you got relief against bipolar at a lower value?"

Yes, I've gotten relief from Lithium at a lower level, I'm at 675 mg a day.

But I think they go by heighth and weight, how difficult your situation is, how much Lithium you need in your system (0.6 to 1.20) for it to be effective.

These are just my opinions as a bipolar. I don't have any medical training.

Post Edited (Tim Tam) : 10/15/2017 7:35:04 PM (GMT-6)

Mr. Tim Tam, thank you very much for your detailed reply. I hope you recover well and soon.

Mr. thehreturns, thank you, too. When I said books I did not imply useless pocketbooks. I meant data and information available at NIH, webMD. Also, laboratories like Labcorp and Quest Diagnostics specify this as the allowable range. But thank you, again.


Regards

no worries, i am vision impaired, but reread your post, and the books say. we respond as to what we read. and ua and i are correct, we are all different, your efficacy levels may be different to mine etc. ie, the use of other medicines that may inhibit a higher efficacy and your level of wellness etc. keep strong and get that consult. lithium very hard on the liver, i hope you are having quarterly l.f.t. keep strong and posting.

I currently take Lithium to treat my schizoaffective - bipolar disorder. I've been taking it for almost 11 years. I was started on 600mg per day. My blood level, was taken a little over a week later, which showed that my blood level was sub-therapeutic. (under .6), so my dose was raised to 900mg per day. Since being increased to 900mg per day, my lithium level has always been in range.

I'm not sure (since I've been on it so long) if it causes drowsiness, but if it is, it's something I'm willing to put up with to have increased mood stability.

In regards to you asking about a full stomach or bloating from the medication, I don't get either of these reactions from the lithium.