Lithium

[Guest HappyFaceSadFace]

I was recently diagnosed bipolar type II. I just started my lithium a week ago. I have not had an episode since and my episodes were daily. Could it be that it is all in my head that the medication is working? I was very relieved to finally have a solution, so could it be something like the placebo effect? How soon does the medication usually start working? I am concerned that it hasn't started working yet and that I won't be able to tell if it does.

[AnneMarie]

Lithium usually takes a week or two to start working after you reach the therapeutic blood serum level. The therapeutic range is typically between .6 and 1.0. Although the amount of miligrams people need varies, typical dosing to get in the range is 600mg-900mg. So, if you were started at 600mg or higher, it's possible you are feeling some effect now. If you were started lower, or think you felt a change the first days after you started, then placebo effect is likely.

[BipolarBeauty]

They started me on 600 mg, I felt a change the next day so I guess it was all mental. Interesting.

[SashaSue]

I'm not sure the efficacy of lithium is that clear cut. I know it's seemed to kick in more quickly than that for me, both times I've started it. And I don't think you have to be up to therapeutic levels to be getting some benefit out of it, for instance all the people who take it at lower dosages to augment other meds.

[Laume]

When I started Lithium, after 3 days of 900 mg/day I felt different - noticed after that my weird thoughts and obsessions were gone. Not psychosomatic