This is my brain on lithium

[crtclms]

I raised my lithium from 300mg to 450mg about a month ago. I was feeling *way* better on Monday, when I had my pdoc appt., and had been for like a week. My blood level came back at .5, but my pdoc and I decided I had improved so much that we would leave it where it was for now, and see how much better it got.

In fact, I actually said I felt almost like I might be a little hypo, and he basically responded, "Believe me, you are not hypomanic." So he saw room for improvement, and feels like we are getting there, but haven't quite stabilized me.

Then on Wednesday, I had one of those horror story migraines. I had been having weird auras all day on Tuesday. Including colored flashing lights in my field of vision, and they weren't part of a scotoma, just random bursts of color, as bright as a flash bulb, which is a new one for me. Then the migraine came slamming in in the early hours of Wednesday, and while it wasn't a long migraine (about 18 hours), it was just really, really painful, I was vomiting, and having cold sweats, I was nervous about even take the lithium, because I had had about a half liter of water all day, plus vomited repeatedly. But decided I would.

Since then, I have just felt blah. Now I realize I have only been feeling blah for only a few days, but I was feeling SO good on Tuesday.

And I am having so much trouble thinking. I mean in the sense of bringing my intellect to bear on something complicated. My attention is so scattered, I feel like a raccoon chasing shiny objects. When I try to formulate ideas requiring any mental heft, I feel like I can almost physically feel thoughts fleeing in all directions in my brain ("Run away! Run away!"), so that I can't assemble them properly. Could that be the lithium?

At the same time I recognize the term "mental heft" is really pretentious.

I know climbing out of depression isn't an instantaneous thing. I just can't believe I feel this numb, when a few days ago I felt like I was maybe a little over-energized.

Or could I just be having a momentary lull in the upward trend? I am wondering if cognitive issues might even be why I am maybe a little confused about how I have been feeling the last few days.

Maybe I do need another 150mg of lithium? I know that is still very little, just 600mg.

Am I getting ahead of myself? I've been obsessing about this since yesterday morning.

Is there a question in there? I feel like there is.

[dedoubt]

Lithium has definitely impacted my cognitive abilities. Spelling, word finding, general organization of thoughts... der... periods of being totally blank like I just was. I'm on a lot of meds, many of which have cognitive side effects, but I noticed this with the lithium before the other meds. Adderall helps a little-- I can stay focused on a task now, once I get it started. I've got amotivation up the wazoo, but I find ways to get past it.

I wish I had some magical cure, poof! all better, but I haven't been able to find one. Mostly because I am too scattered and vacant to think about it.

[Maybell]

If it's only been a few days since your migrane, then could you still be dehydrated? That could account for the feeling blah and not able to think properly/concentrate etc...lithium can have a dehydrating effect and I've always been told to make sure I drink more water when taking it.

I also found with lithium that I couldn't tolerate the regular lithium (caused awful side effects/possibly bit of lithium poisoning) but am fine with the extended release lithium.

[bpladybug]

I agree that the lasting effects of the migrain - the dehydration from all the vomiting, the physical pain - I would look to that first.

Keep drinking fluids and see how you feel at the end of the weekend.

Besides, you are so smart - your baseline for intelligence is pretty high. I think your mental heft will come back. heh heh

[crtclms]

Well, I'd be surprised if I were still dehydrated from the migraine, because I usually drink about 3 liters of water a day, and have been doing so since the headache ended.

On the other hand, I think I underestimate the recovery time from that severe of a migraine in general. My dad would keep me home from school an additional day after a migraine like that. And I forget that, because in the "real world," I couldn't take off days that were pain free just because I was wiped out physically.

And I am glad to hear I am not the only one with cognitive difficulties. I hope that will pass with some time.

I should give it more time. It's the not being able to think about anything at all challenging that bothers me the most. I think that I would feel less meh if I could think clearly. Feeling mentally fuzzy makes me feel kind of bummed.

Thanks everyone.

[melissaw72]

I have been on Lithium in the past, and all I know is it has to be monitored carefully with blood levels every 4-6 weeks, and if it got to a certain level I had to have an EKG done. Also it was very hard to get a level dose. I think I was also on eskalith (slow-release lithium) in conjunction with lithium.

[Gearhead]

If you've been vomiting, you have not only dehydration but electrolyte imbalance to worry about. That'll stupid you right up. Plain water won't fix it. You need Gatorade or something of that nature, too.

Lithium made me dumb as hell. It's why I finally had to stop taking it. I couldn't stand being so stupid-I thought I had brain damage for a long time.

[crtclms]

I just wanted to say, I think you were all right, and I was still recovering from my migraine/vomiting. I feel much different, and more like I am climbing out of depression, instead of just numb. I had a bad day yesterday, but it was a "normal" bad day. My cognitive function is a little better, too. Today I feel pretty "good" except for the migraine (which kind of cancels out the "good," but you catch my drift).

[dedoubt]

I have been on Lithium in the past, and all I know is it has to be monitored carefully with blood levels every 4-6 weeks

Perhaps at the beginning, but once the correct dose is found, the number of blood levels necessary drops off. I haven't had a level done since last fall, and I'm just fine. Maybe you were a special case, and your body couldn't adjust to it.

I just wanted to say, I think you were all right, and I was still recovering from my migraine/vomiting. I feel much different

I am glad to hear that you've had some improvement. Sorry about the migraine cancelling it out... :/

[melissaw72]

I have been on Lithium in the past, and all I know is it has to be monitored carefully with blood levels every 4-6 weeks

Perhaps at the beginning, but once the correct dose is found, the number of blood levels necessary drops off. I haven't had a level done since last fall, and I'm just fine. Maybe you were a special case, and your body couldn't adjust to it.

I just wanted to say, I think you were all right, and I was still recovering from my migraine/vomiting. I feel much different

I am glad to hear that you've had some improvement. Sorry about the migraine cancelling it out... :/

Idk why I had to have so many lithium levels drawn. I am assuming because I was on so much medication at the time it was interfering with absorption and how my body handled it.