Posted by dragonblack on June 18, 2011, at 16:41:15
Hi Everyone,
I've been on lithium for 3 months now, and I've settled at a dose of 900 mg/day. I take it all at night and my last blood level was .7. My plan has been to just sit tight at this level for the time being, at least until I work out the issues with my other meds, mainly Parnate. On the whole, lithium seems to be working pretty well for me. Doesn't stop the depression, but I'm not cycling and am calmer. It's also cheap, and I have no insurance.
Several weeks ago, I started waking up with back pain. It was pretty bad and I couldn't figure out where it was coming from. I've been sleeping on the same mattress for over a year, never had anything like this. So I've been analyzing my sleep and various other things, trying to figure out what I did or what I changed, etc.
This morning I had what may have been an epiphany. It only hurts in the morning, and gradually goes away. This back pain, which is primarily on both sides of my back, where my ribs start to taper, is actually kidney pain, and it hurts when I wake up because I dose at night and this is the period following my peak plasma levels, greatest stress load on the kidneys, and during which I don't drink water (due to being asleep).
Is this crazy, or am I spot on? I can see this being the kind of thing that one might never connect, I'm kinda shocked that I saw it (if I did). Of course I could be completely wrong....
Would love to know what you guys think. Best of weekends to everyone.
db
poster:dragonblack
thread:988688
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20110610/msgs/988688.html