I was diagnosed Bipolar 2 just before Christmas and started Lithium towards the end of December.
My starting dose was 200Mg and I was required to have weekly blood tests to check the lithium level. A few days after each blood test, I had an appointment with my psychiatrist to review the blood level.
I was told when I first started taking it what the target level they were aiming for. In my case this is 0.8 mmol.
My does was increased in 200Mg increments and I did not notice any side effects until it reached 600 Mg. Even then, I only noticed a slight metallic taste and I only had this for a few hours after taking the tablets.
I am currently at 1000Mg and my next blood test is on the 25th Feb and I then next see the psychiatrist on the 1st March to review the level. I suspect it will not go up again, or if it does 1200 will be my final dose.
I am not noticing any side effects and the metal taste faded after a few weeks.
I was prescribed it to help with the depression, and it was 5 weeks until I noticed an effect. I have just been prescribed Olanzapine to help with anxiety and to help me sleep
Goodluck with it