seven Posted September 3, 2005 Share Posted September 3, 2005 it is often said that lithium is not effective for dysphoria, mixed states, rapid cycling. ok. so does that mean its anti-manic properties are only good for euphoric manias? that's enough to inspire me to go down on my lith. why would anyone want their potential for happiness taken away? can lithium make one irritable? when i first started lithium, i had a week of hypomania. then it was downhill into dysphoria/depression land (with a caffeine inspired up period). is it me or the lith? thanks, 7 p.s. in case it's relevant, this is my cocktail: 600 lithium 100 lamictal 40 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PinkToo2grrl Posted September 3, 2005 Share Posted September 3, 2005 wow. this would make sense then. lithium was the first drug i was ever prescribed. back in 1988. it didn't help at all. figured the dx was wrong. now i am back to a BP dx. but i only have all the ugly ragey stuff, no euphoria. sorry i cant be more informative, but your post is helpful to me! thx. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sepia Posted September 4, 2005 Share Posted September 4, 2005 I haven't had any extended hypomanias while on lithium. I don't seem to be getting happy little hypomanias anymore, though, and I am definitely still experiencing wound up, sleepless states (or was, until I started sleeping all the time on titrating Strattera). Are those snarls of anxiety, or...? For now, I'm calling them anxiety and trying to deal with them as such. Maybe I'm wrong. I dunno... I just know it's better than it was before the lithium. I really like lithium. But maybe there is something to your statements. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hellcat13 Posted September 4, 2005 Share Posted September 4, 2005 Well I never got the cycling when I was first put on lithium. Mind you I do get the shakes and twitch when I dont drink enough fluids. I find lithium is fine for stabilising me. Not to say I still dont have up and down days but its better than some alernatives. Me: 900mg Lithium 375mg effexor 25-50mg seroquel prn 5-10mg zyprexa prn 10-20mg trimazapan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seven Posted September 4, 2005 Author Share Posted September 4, 2005 http://www.healthyplace.com/communities/bi...medications.asp Lithium appears to be most effective for individuals with more Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NARS Posted September 4, 2005 Share Posted September 4, 2005 Euphoric mania will likely turn to dysphoric mania in time. In the meantime you will have let kindling worsen your BP. And it will be harder to treat with meds at all. So though you may miss your euphoric manias, you're better off without them. If you're feeling like crap on lithium, it could mean you need an adjunctive mood stabilizer. You may need to switch from lithium to a different mood stabilizer. But from your description of your symptoms it doesn't particularly look to this viewer like you need to (just) quit lithium. Have you talked with your pdoc about it? If you have and he says to just be happy you're alive, tell him that's not acceptable and that you need to feel like your life is worth something. Insist that he give you medication options. Feeling depressed is not a long-term option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seven Posted September 5, 2005 Author Share Posted September 5, 2005 Thank you all for your replies. I hope the lithium keeps working for all of you (and P2Grr, hope the depakote works out for you). Nars, thanks for your thoughtful advice. everywhere on the bp board i hear watch out for the hypomania turning into mania kindling you into oblivion. but sometimes hypomania can stay hypomania without ever turning into its virulent variant--don't you think? that seems to be implied in books like "The Hypomanic Edge" and even my pdoc has said there can be hypomania but when it interferes with your life, that's when it's a problem. anyway, i thought it would be helpful to see what everyone's euphoria vs. dysphoria experience on lithium was -- which got snuffed and which got left behind. or if lithium has actually dampened both. As Nars points out, euphoria turns into dysphoria for most, so if lithium works for 60% of all bipolars, then it must be doing something for the dysphoric manias! as for myself, I think the lamictal on its lonesome set a standard that's hard to beat. i'm faring fairly well, it's up and down, love-hate relationship with the lith, maybe i'll lobby for an anti-depressant as an add-on (or am i being greedy? ) 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazynotstupid Posted September 5, 2005 Share Posted September 5, 2005 Dunno 'bout what lith works best for; apparently I'm not on a high enough dose yet (a mere 600) as I'm rather hypomanic at *least*. Regardless--I understand missing the euphoric side, especially if that's all you've had; however, remember, euphoric mania brings its own nasty concsequnces with it. We're taking the meds not only to stop the *bad* effects like dysphoric manias and kindling, BUT... the effects of the manic symptoms. Y'know, like, all that free-wheeling spending, sex, not holding a job, etc.? Stability is GOOD, regardless of the med, so long as the med is effective and not overly nasty on the side effects. In your original post you asked, "why would anyone want their potential for happiness taken away?" Just remember: euphoric mania isn't happiness; it's madness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myrkkyhammas Posted September 6, 2005 Share Posted September 6, 2005 i was recently hospitalized for dysphoric mania. the shrink there gave me lithium and lamictal and i was 90% better in a -week-. i'd been on lamictal alone for months prior and it did little or nothing for my non-depressive symptoms. lithium is a godsend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoparGuy1991 Posted September 6, 2005 Share Posted September 6, 2005 Out of curiosity, is Lithium any good for Ultradian (several times a day) cycling? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seven Posted September 7, 2005 Author Share Posted September 7, 2005 CNS, thank you for the words of caution. you're very sweet myrkkyhammas, your story is just what i was looking for. funny thing is at a bipolar support group (live!), i posed the same question and everyone seemed to think i needed MORE lithium!#?! (i need to work on my irritated/depressed face ) ...maybe they're right. i wouldn't mind more...i secretly kind of love it... mopar, probably not so good according to the "expert" quotes above. rapid cycling often means or includes ultradian cycling. but i cycle in cycles, i easily behave in an ultradian way via flickering mixed states of euphoria/dysphoria. how can you tell really? and the lith is working pretty much for me! 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glen Posted September 7, 2005 Share Posted September 7, 2005 http://www.cpa-apc.org/Publications/Archiv...mber/yatham.asp The effectiveness of lithium for both acute and maintenance treatment of BD I is firmly established and well recognized (70 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GroovyGwen Posted September 7, 2005 Share Posted September 7, 2005 7 - You are only on anti-convulsants and anti-anxiety. I think those in general will make you tired and a little depressed (I know the lamictal has some activating properties, but a lot of people get way tired on it, which makes me depressed). Have you tried an AD in addition to the lamictal and lith? My favorite cocktail was effexor, lithium and neurontin, although I think it was the lith that made my hr plummet. So now I can't take any of those drugs. There are always options for tweaking dosages and adding stuff, don't lose hope... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seven Posted September 7, 2005 Author Share Posted September 7, 2005 glen, veddy interrestin' thx! gwen, i've been anglin' for an ad but no dice thus far...i gave my pdoc my irritability/depression sob story and got slapped with more lith. now up to 900--we'll see. (now practicing irritable/depressed face in front of mirror...just kidding!! ) 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richarn Posted September 20, 2005 Share Posted September 20, 2005 I don't know about anyone else but Lithium has definately helped my Dysphoric mania and my Rapic Cycling. I was on Depakote and it did not do a whole lot for me. So my pdoc added Lithium and I am up to 1200mg/day. I have also reduced my Depakote from 2000mg/day to 500mg/day and will be going off of it in a week or so. I do remember some irritability at 600mg/day of Lithium so thats why I was upped to 1200mg/day. It has been great ever since. I get some minor hand tremors and am thirsty all the time but I can live with that. Oh and somehow it curled my hair. I went from having straight as an arrow hair to having what looks like a Perm that seems to get worse as the day goes on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NARS Posted September 20, 2005 Share Posted September 20, 2005 Oh and somehow it curled my hair. Wow! If I knew lithium did that, I probably would have asked to try that first!! --Lenore who never did like her hair Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MellowYellow Posted September 21, 2005 Share Posted September 21, 2005 Since I've never had a pdoc mention "dysphoria" or "dysphoric" or "rapid cycling" to me, I don't know if I've truly had it or they just didn't know it. I'm on a very low dose - 600 mg - and it just keeps the euphoric mania at bay. Never had any real bad mania on lithium at all but I did on Depakote. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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