whydoyouask Posted November 19, 2005 Share Posted November 19, 2005 Hello everyone. I have decided to take myself off of lithium. I am on 900 mgs and I can't stand it. I find my moods are very unstable and that I am so bitchy I can't stand myself most of the time. I am also sick and tired of being duh all the time. Once upon a time before Lithium I could finish a thought, make important decisions for myself and be nice to the people I love. Also after I take my lithium at night my head feels all sorts of pressure. I can't describe all of the negitive effects I feel but trust me when I say they are intollerable. My question to all of you here is, Have any of you just went off Lithium cold turkey? Should I ween myself off three hundred mgs at a time like I was titrated up on them? One way or another I am gettting off this shit. Take Care all. Nicole Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halation Posted November 19, 2005 Share Posted November 19, 2005 how long have you been on the lithium? have you had the negative effects ever since starting? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WendigoEater Posted November 19, 2005 Share Posted November 19, 2005 I had those exact problems. I was on 1000mg. Lithium was some of the worst shit I have ever taken. I weaned myself off of it. I would always recommend weaning, at the very least it saves you a system shock. Good luck getting off it, and do consider an alternative, there are lots out there and all you can do is try them. You might be pleasantly surprised one day to find something that works. One day. ~WendigoEater Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne Posted November 19, 2005 Share Posted November 19, 2005 back a bajillion years ago when I was in the psych hospital, I was put on Lithium, and I have never had a psych med make me so sick. I must have been really sensitive to it because I had lithium toxicity almost immediately. Of course, I was immediately taken off of it, but I don't know what the consequences would be as I can't remember - it was like 20 years ago. At that time, I settled for SSRI's. But now that I am older and wiser , I am on Cymbalta and the issue of BP is once again rearing it's ugly head... Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whydoyouask Posted November 19, 2005 Author Share Posted November 19, 2005 Hi and thank you for responding. I have been on Lithium for aprox. 6 wks and the side effects started at 600 mgs and when I told my pdoc he still insisted that I go up another 300 mgs so I could reach theraputic levels. Bullshit. this stuff is making my life a living hell. I think tonight I will only take 600 mgs, do this for a few days then go down to 300mg for a few days than presto I am off of the drug from hell! As for trying something else, I think I'll wait and see if I need something to help stabalize my moods. I can handle being crazy and those that love me have grown to love me for being the quirky crazy girl I am.....I will continue taking my wellbutrin so that I don't get to depressed but I think I'll wait until my very honest family tells me I am having mood swings before I go on another anti/pyscotic or mood stabalizer. Again Thanks for taking the time to respond. Nicole Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sepia Posted November 19, 2005 Share Posted November 19, 2005 Take it slow with weaning off the lithium. Some research shows that cutting it out too quickly can make bipolar cycling go bonkers, worse than it was before starting it. This didn't happen for everyone, but if it can happen in people who are trying to go med-free and in people who are simultaneously transferring to another stabilizer, it is definitely a factor to consider. From your description of how endearing your bipolar can be, I'm guessing you're BPII, but even that can get ugly. Trust me. Why did you decide to go on medication in the first place? For me, I looked back on my old journal entries, assessed how I was feeling at the time (and over several months, though I suck ass at keeping records), and realized that my cycling was A. Seriously fucking up my life and B. Poised to completely destroy me, whether in a few months or several years down the road. I wrote journal entries to my future self, listing what was wrong and warning myself YOU NEED MEDICATION. DON'T THINK YOU DON'T. Sure, certain aspects of my illness were endearing (hypomania, how I loved thee), but the trade-off was too high, and then there's and increasing amount of information on kindling.... For me, much as I hate taking meds, I have to admit I need them. Just think about why you decided to try lithium in the first place. If your reasons are anything like mine, consider trying another med. There are many. Chances are something will help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sun_zoom_spark Posted November 19, 2005 Share Posted November 19, 2005 What is your blood serum level? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PBF Posted November 19, 2005 Share Posted November 19, 2005 going off lithium cold turkey sound like a bad idea. I agree with what has been said above. And if you can't stand lithium, there is always depkote, zyprexa, lamictal and other mood stabilizers. PBF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LunaRufina Posted November 19, 2005 Share Posted November 19, 2005 Hello everyone. I have decided to take myself off of lithium. I am on 900 mgs and I can't stand it. I find my moods are very unstable and that I am so bitchy I can't stand myself most of the time. I am also sick and tired of being duh all the time. Once upon a time before Lithium I could finish a thought, make important decisions for myself and be nice to the people I love. Sometimes medications just don't work for us. The reason we take them is to make us functional and have a quality life. If you can't think properly or control your agitation, obviously it isn't successful. But, is there a reason you feel you need to take yourself off and don't want to involve your doctor in this decision? Ultimately, your doctor works for you, and the best sort of relationship you could have with them is to work together as a team to find the best treatment. Keeping them in the dark is one of the quickest ways to break down any type of trust that is being built. Should I ween myself off three hundred mgs at a time like I was titrated up on them?... One way or another I am gettting off this shit. ] Yes. Titrate down from it. Going off cold turkey is just a bad idea. You have made a decision, and that is fine. But let your doctor know NOW. If you have any problems they can help you and it is better that they know what is happening beforehand. I will continue taking my wellbutrin so that I don't get to depressed but I think I'll wait until my very honest family tells me I am having mood swings before I go on another anti/pyscotic or mood stabalizer. Taking just an anti-depressant is probably not the best idea. Eventually you will likely go hypo/manic. And by the time this happens, it is chaotic and messy. It disrupts your life and a 'wait and see' plan is probably not going to be the most effective in the long run. It will likely be much more difficult to find an effective medication, as you will have more intense instability. I do really encourage you to contact your doctor and consider other mood stabilizers NOW, rather than just relying on wellbutrin. I think they would be more likely to listen, rather than if you called later and told them that you dropped the lithium and needed to start a different med because you were starting to get unstable. If you don't feel like your doctor is going to listen to you, you should think about getting a new one. Doctors should work with their patients, not dictate their healthcare decisions. ~navy~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revlow Posted November 19, 2005 Share Posted November 19, 2005 whydoyouask: I agree with all the good info you've gotten above. Just wanted to echo what Imnop said:From your description of how endearing your bipolar can be, I'm guessing you're BPII, but even that can get ugly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dweii Posted November 20, 2005 Share Posted November 20, 2005 I'm surprised by all the negative reactions to Lithium, since it works so great for me. It DOES mess with your memory though. Like today I was supposed to see a suicidal friend at three o clock and I forgot. I'm not evil, I just can't remember stuff for shit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whydoyouask Posted November 20, 2005 Author Share Posted November 20, 2005 I have no idea what my serum levels are, all I know is how terrible and vicious I feel on lithium. I see my pdoc on Dec 2 and I will discuss the fact that I have decided to go off of Lithium with him then. I live in small town Canada and I do not get to see my shrink just cause.............I would have to go to the hospital say I am suicidal get admitted and then I could see him first thing in the morning when he does his rounds. I have two kids this is not an option! About a month ago he wanted me to start Effexor with the lithium and I chose not to. When I went in for my monthly 15 minute appointment I explained that I had researched Effexor and it is a little dangerous to take with lithium. He was really good about it. He knows I am OCD and research the shit out of everything. What I do intend to do is call his office in the morning and leave a message with his secretary saying that I am titrating off lithium. I'm sure if he feels it is a real big deal he'll get in touch with me. I have made a personal choice to not be drugged to the nines anymore. I do not want to go threw life a shadow of the women I once was. I don't want to find out I have TD, I don't need to grow a mustache, I can live without the tremors and sick stomach, having NO feelings about anything, I just can't do it anymore. I have BP II, I lived thirty one years undiagnosed and had many meaningful relationships, I have raised two lovely girls, bought a home and on and on. Please don't think I am bashing anyones choice to medicate, I am just in a meltdown and can't do it anymore. My body is so sick from all the different drugs that I have been told will make me a better person. I am scared that my 7&9 year olds will grow up remembering me as the mother who was always sick, always tired, always bitchy. I will keep everyone posted on what the future has in store for me. All I can say for sure is I couldn't be in worse shape than I am in now. Peace. Nicole Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sepia Posted November 20, 2005 Share Posted November 20, 2005 WDYA, I respect your decision. Lithium has worked for me -- a little tremor, a little memory loss -- but it doesn't work for everyone. The very side effects you are complaining of now are the very reason why I didn't want to take it in the first place. The other option on the table was Epival, though, which had been such an awful experience for my BPI best friend that she now refuses all psych treatment, and so lithium it was. Living in a rural area, calling your doctor to let him know of your choice is the best option available, so I'm glad you're doing that. I have family in similar situations. The provincial clinic system is sprawling and sucky. Take the titration as slow as you can possibly stand. As I mentioned above, going off lithium can make cycling even worse than it was before starting it. This is hypothesized to be the result of the abrupt drop in lithium levels. The longer you can hold out with gradual dose reductions, the better your chances of avoiding this. This line especially stood out for me: "I am scared that my 7&9 year olds will grow up remembering me as the mother who was always sick, always tired, always bitchy." This is the very reason I chose to give meds a try. Without them, I was intermittently hypomanic (joy!) or a perfect abusive mess. I didn't want to have any close relationships with anyone for fear of destroying them. I was terrified of becoming a mentally ill parent. I hope that you will be one of the fortunate who can control their mood swings through life management techniques and therapy and whatever else is available to you. I really do. But if not, if your illness progresses in time, there are many other medications out there. Some of them are bound to be a good fit for you. Not all experiences are as bad as this one. Good luck, whatever happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sun_zoom_spark Posted November 20, 2005 Share Posted November 20, 2005 I have no idea what my serum levels are, all I know is how terrible and vicious I feel on lithium. Everything hinges around blood serum level. You need to have a blood test done quite often when you first start to find your 'baseline' reaction to the drug. The therepeutic dose is often very close to the toxic dose. The side effects are due to toxicity. Backing off your dose by 300 mg. will probably take care of nasty side effects but there is no way to be sure without a blood test. Therepeutic doses range from a serum level of 0.4-1.2 (all depends on who you ask). You may do well in the lower part of the range which would require a lower dose. Don't dump it altogether. I've never dumped my lithium but I have a friend who's sister became a nun after she dropped her lithium. I have nothing against nuns, mind you, but I think you get my drift. Talk to doc next chance you get and in the meantime cut back a little if you must but don't dump it altogether. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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