Nightspeed1 Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 I'm bipolar and Lithium has worked great for me. It made me curious, what happens to people who do not need it for medical reasons but took it anyway? By this I don't mean once, but if they took it like they were getting it prescribed. What could it possibly do, as long as they didn't O.D.? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SashaSue Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 I don't think it would do much of anything, aside from side effect potential. Why would anyone do that anyway? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nightspeed1 Posted October 4, 2011 Author Share Posted October 4, 2011 Well you know those times where you you say "maybe (despite all the crap that has happened) for some reason I am not really bipolar, or at least just cyclothymic" and give yourself another reason to go off your meds. It had me wondering, well if I wasn't bipolar, wouldn't this really have no effect on me? Of course, I am bipolar, and I am on my meds, but it had me thinking what if? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnneMarie Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 There are places where Lithium naturally occurs in the water at very low levels. The suicide rate in those places is lower than other places. A number of studies have been done. All, to my knowledge, show statistical significance. So, there probably is some effect even if you aren't bipolar, BUT on a way different scale. Mostly, I think a non-bipolar person would simply get the side effects. I don't think you can measure bipolarity by med response in the manner you are suggesting. I like rationalization, though. Nice try. Been there. When meds are working, you feel normal. Yay! Don't use that you feel normal on meds to convince yourself that your have no illness or as an excuse to get off them. That is a vicious circle some fall into - on meds, off, go nuts, on meds, off.... It's gotta be tiring. Edit for sentence structure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 I agree with Stacia. Low levels of lithium in the water do seem to have some sort of stabilizing influence. But, we are talking nowhere NEAR the amount taken by BP people, usually. Anna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt07 Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 I think it needs to be pointed out that lithium is often used to treat unipolar depression as well as bipolar. My guess is that if completely "normal" people took lithium, some people would get some subtle effect, but the benefit would be vastly outweighed by the side effects and risks of the medication. Other people would feel nothing but the side effects. I took lithium for unipolar depression and felt no benefit whatsoever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AirMarshall Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 For a few years in the 1940's and earlier Lithium was sold as a salt substitute. So quite a few normal people used it freely. Unfortunately eventually a few people died from toxicity, which caused Lithium to be pulled off the market. This delayed its accept in the US for treating Bipolars until 1970. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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