Posted by ronaldo on December 2, 2006, at 10:36:22
In reply to Let's Talk Lithium!, posted by becksA on November 30, 2006, at 14:26:14
Hi becksA,
I have been taking Lithium for about 30 years for bipolar disorder at 800mg at night and for the past four or five years at 900mg at night. My kidneys and my liver and thyroid have all been fine - no problems. The lithium I use is called Priadel which is a controlled release formula and is what the NHS here in the UK prescribe. My lithium plasma levels are around 0.8mMol/litre which is more or less in the middle of the therapeutic window.
Lithium for manic depression (bipolar disorder) has a long history going back to the fifties in Australia. Lithium has kept me on the tracks. It did not give me any side effects except thirst (for water) :-) maybe a bit of diarrhoea occasionally and a slight hand tremor sometimes. Nothing serious. I am so used to lithium that I take it each night without really thinking about it.
I have occasionally tried to come off Lithium but have always returned to it as and when life becomes too hectic as it does without the buffers which Lithium provides. I am thankful to lithium - it is cheap, effective and gives me an anchor in life. Lithium does not interact with other drugs (as far as I know) and I have been able to use alcohol without any trouble. The only trouble I have had with it recently is a bout of food poisoning which had me so I couldn't keep anything in or down and I think my Lithium level went high or low as a result (I think its low) with resulting hypermania. One has to be careful with losing too much fluids.
Hope the above is some use to you.
...ronaldo
poster:ronaldo
thread:709080
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20061129/msgs/709659.html