Lithium used as secondary med

[dilemma]

For a long time, I have had no energy, stamina and some other medical problems.  At the beginning of this year, almost overnight I felt great. I didn't change anything.  I signed up for water aerobics at the local gym, and I went from completely sedentary to being able to exercise for a complete hour. At first I had to really rest afterwards, but I eventually was able to do so much that had escaped me for years. I felt great and really enjoyed getting out and doing the water aerobics, and the extra energy I had.

In mid-april, I woke up one morning and felt awful. I dragged myself to the gym, but I just couldn't do the exercises.  The next day, I could hardly get out of bed, and was back to where I used to be last year.  I used to love going to water aerobics, but now it's more of a chore.

I went to my pdoc a couple of weeks ago, and he thought that maybe I was cycling, and we had a discussion and he wanted me to try taking lithium in addition to the clozapine that I have been taking for a couple of years.  I have been on it for about a week now, and I'm able to do more during the water aerobics.  I'm not back to when things were great, but the lithium definitely makes a difference.

I take the Lithium at 10PM, and the weird thing is that I definitely feel better both mentally and physically starting at about 5PM until perhaps midnight. It just seems so weird to me that it takes so long.

My pdoc told me to take 300mg at night for 2 weeks and then increase it 300mg. When I asked why I should take it at night, he say that although it's not like clozapine for sedation, it tends to be more sedating than activating.  He told me that when I increase it, I can either take it 600mg at night or 300mg twice a day.

I'm wondering how other people felt when you were initially on lithium.  I don't want to change things up during the first two weeks, but did any of you notice how it worked when you first tried it?  Did it eventually last longer when you increased it? Do/did you take the 600mg once a day or twice a day?  Anything else that you think might help me?

 

[mcjimjam]

I've always used it twice a day. I didn't feel much when I first started lithium. A little less depressed. Fewer suicidal thoughts/impulses.

[crtclms]

I started at 300mg, but 600mg was enough, I had a .7 blood level. It made me less depressed, and I haven't been hypo or manic since I've been on it. I still need to deal with some depression, though.