Chickenlips Posted December 23, 2017 Share Posted December 23, 2017 Howdy - hope all of you guys are doing well!! I have a psychotic illness (schizoaffective) and anxiety... and my pdoc is talking to me about Lithium.... are people feeling in the mood to share their own experiences on this drug? I guess I would be keen to know what dose you are on, what your experience has been and if people have any knowledge around it they would be willing to share to help me to make a good decision.... I am fighting to keep my job at the moment given my paranoia and HIGH anxiety and would so, so appreciate any insights/feedback/info that you are happy to share with me (an everyone else) How long does it take to work is it good for anxiety? Psychosis? Paranoia? etc. Thanks and Happy holidays! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riggs1 Posted December 23, 2017 Share Posted December 23, 2017 Lithium is the best med IMO for mood stabilization. Currently on a dose of 1200mg(have been on higher doses but hands shake) wouldn’t reccomend taking it without an antipsychotic if psychosis is an issue. Won’t be enough on its own. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CeremonyNewOrder Posted December 23, 2017 Share Posted December 23, 2017 I think lithium is a great med if it works for you. The only initial side effect I had when taking it was increased thirst. Lithium has kept me from going full blown manic since I've taken it and it helped with suicidal thoughts. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit37 Posted December 23, 2017 Share Posted December 23, 2017 (edited) Lithium is considered a gold standard, and it's cheap too! I've been on it for years, the only s/e is thirst mentioned, but you get used to that pretty quickly. Occasionally I'll have a mild hand tremor, but that usually happens if I just hadn't drank enough water the previous day. I strive for about a half gallon every day, but spread throughout the day. You're supposed to maintain normal sodium intake, don't cut back. I happen to be med sensitive, I only take 600mg nightly, but that gives me a blood level of .7-.8. Dosages vary wildly from person to person. You'll have several blood tests as you titrate up and find a therapeutic dose, then you can go longer periods in between the tests. I take it for mood stabilization, still have breakthrough episodes, but much more in control. If you're taking it just for anxiety, a lower dose might do the trick. You might hear complaints of feeling flat, I felt that way on 900mg, as soon as I dropped down to 600mg, I felt more like myself. Good luck! ETA: I believe that it takes about 5 days to reach a steady state in your bloodstream (somebody correct me if I'm wrong!) Edited December 23, 2017 by Rabbit37 I'm 55yo, I forget things 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickenlips Posted December 25, 2017 Author Share Posted December 25, 2017 (edited) Yes one of my concerns is being too flat... and I want to be very sure it is doing what I am taking it for. I am also med sensitive, so will keep that in mind. I wonder if anxiety is significantly helped by lithium? And can you take a dosage less than 600mg or is that considered the lowest dosage? Lots to think about... specifically whether it targets anxiety in and of itself? ? Edited December 25, 2017 by Chickenlips Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iceberg Posted December 26, 2017 Share Posted December 26, 2017 I've heard of 300 but only as an add on for suicidal thoughts 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickenlips Posted December 26, 2017 Author Share Posted December 26, 2017 8 hours ago, Iceberg said: I've heard of 300 but only as an add on for suicidal thoughts Ok - never knew that - so Lithium is good for suicidal thoughts? Is that because of its affect on depression? cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iceberg Posted December 26, 2017 Share Posted December 26, 2017 No one is really sure why exactly but yes it's good for suicidal thoughts 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
survivingbp Posted December 27, 2017 Share Posted December 27, 2017 (edited) On 12/25/2017 at 7:45 PM, Chickenlips said: Yes one of my concerns is being too flat... and I want to be very sure it is doing what I am taking it for. I am also med sensitive, so will keep that in mind. I wonder if anxiety is significantly helped by lithium? And can you take a dosage less than 600mg or is that considered the lowest dosage? Lots to think about... specifically whether it targets anxiety in and of itself? ? . Edited August 25, 2022 by survivingbp 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
looking for answers Posted December 28, 2017 Share Posted December 28, 2017 On 12/25/2017 at 3:45 AM, Chickenlips said: Yes one of my concerns is being too flat... and I want to be very sure it is doing what I am taking it for. I am also med sensitive, so will keep that in mind. I wonder if anxiety is significantly helped by lithium? And can you take a dosage less than 600mg or is that considered the lowest dosage? Lots to think about... specifically whether it targets anxiety in and of itself? ? its a little flat but its been great for me...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saintalto Posted December 28, 2017 Share Posted December 28, 2017 I’ve been on lithium for years and the biggest downside is that I have to take a thyroid hormone now because it’s messed with my thyroid a bit. Not a huge deal though, just an extra pill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
batshitprincess Posted January 28, 2018 Share Posted January 28, 2018 I've been taking Lithium for about 3 years now and it's been okay in some ways and great on others. It was added to my cocktail for suicidal thoughts and it shut them off like a switch. It's been great for that. I do have quite a few side effects, but I was so completely freaked out by the suicidal ideations that I'll do anything to keep them at bay. I take 1050mg (2 x 300 plus 1 450) every day and have a blood level of .08. When my mood improves, I'll go back to 900mg which usually gives me a blood level of .06. My side effects are a tremor, which is magnified since non-essential tremors run in my family. I also have the increased thirst and urination and take a thyroid pill every day. it's still worth it to me. I can't speak to the anxiety since that isn't something I'm working on right now, so I'm not really paying attention. I found it to be really fast-acting, so you'll know right away if it's worth continuing. Extended release versions (Lithobid) are easier on your stomach and I always take mine with food. My pdoc believes in several small pills rather than one large one. I was afraid of trying it, to be honest, but it's been a worthwhile addition for me. Give it a try - who knows? Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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