Posted by SLS on February 26, 2010, at 14:01:41
In reply to first week of lithium, posted by floatingbridge on February 22, 2010, at 19:16:40
> 300mg taken at night. No detectable side effects. My mood has been good--however, I attribute that to my mysterious inner weather.
>
> May increase to 600 in a month.
>
> I appreciate all the info and hand-holding I receive here.
>
Good luck.:-)
If it doesn't hurt, lithium can only help. It encourages neurite (nerve branch) growth and prevents apoptosis (cell death). It also promotes the growth of astrocytes, a type of glial cell that helps to nourish nerve cells and reduce synaptic glutamate concentrations, presumbably reducing excitotoxicity.
I take 150mg of lithium twice a day. It is best to divide the dose if you are not using an extended release preparation. For unipolar depression, 300-600mg is generally recommended. For what little improvement I receive from it, I don't seem to benefit from going above 300mg. At 600mg, I begin to feel flat and unmotivated.
- Scott
poster:SLS
thread:937702
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20100216/msgs/937989.html