Hi sdguy, I just wanted to let you know that I answered your post over in the depression forum on this topic. So you can pop in there to check....
~elisha
I have been taking Lithium for three years for bipolar disorder. I don't experience any side effects from this medication. I honestly experienced more side effects from antidepressants than I have from Lithium. It sounds scary but it really is not that bad.
Lithium can damage the kidney over time, but lab tests are taken to check kidney function. If lab tests do show damage then a different drug is chosen. And I think damage only happens after long term usage of lithium. And not everyone who is on it experiences kidney damage.
Lithium has successfully manage my bipolar disorder. I have had no manic episodes or severe depressive episodes. I have heard that Lithium is sometimes used in just depression. It does have an antidepressive effect. Research has also shown that lithium also has an anti-suicidal effect on people.
While 300mg has caused relatively mild sleepiness, I don't know if I could handle much more than this. Its also caused some impressive diahrea and stomach discomfort. A little dizziness too. Depakote didn't cause any side effects, except I couldn't focus.
Oh well.
Hammilton
Most of these side-effects deminish quickly - it is important that if you have side-effects your bloods are measured just to make sure your dose is right.
Please be nice to me, I'm a blood donor (conquering my fear of needles one pint at a time).
Dx: BPII (and everything that comes along with it), BPD? (pdoc trying to figure that out), Chronic Migraines (that means 2-4/week)
Current Rx: Lamictal, Lyrica, Depakote ER, Seroquel (prn), Xanax (prn), Vicoprofen (prn), NuvaRing
Past Rx: Prozac, Paxil/CR, Lexapro, Cymbalta, Ambien, Wellbutrin XL, Effexor/XR, Topamax, Neurontin, Trazadone, Klonopin, array of triptans (allergic)
To be or not to Be
Post Edited By Moderator (olivia of course) : 10/9/2008 6:00:31 PM (GMT-6)
Unfortunately this is a board for people with bipolar disorder and we don't allow discussion of illegal drug use. The thread you've pulled up here is 3 years old. All I can offer you is the advice that if your son is exhibiting side effects from the use of lithium, I would take him to the doctor immediately. It is not a drug to be messed around with.
Good luck with everything.
serafena
Serafena
Co-Moderator, Bipolar Forum
Bipolar II
I posted a messeage just before your's. Now I dont know if you read that one before it was taken away. I have a lot of friends on the Antipsychotics. One killed himself last year. I understand why my opinion, like your's, seems to be unappreciated. By all the specialists and doctors, and even by the people who run this site!
So if doctors and specialist seem to be doing what they know is best, why do we feel so strongly opposed to this prescription?!!
To correctly diagnose a subject, it would take a lot of reaserch. Basically because everyone is different. But the expense needed to correctly diagnose each person isn't usually expended.
Now, the biggest interest of the goverment, is the community, and not an individual like your son. The community cannot have a psychotic son out on the loose running rampant, and wont take that risk.
So with a risk needing to be subdued, but with the lack of research given to tackle the risk delicatley, we have a mis-prescribed drug which may not be the best for the individual (your son), but is best the keep the majority (the neighbourhood/community) safe from your son...
Even if they researched further to give a better diagnosis to each individual, the drugs available are so imprecise, that they may subdue psychosis but give so many scary side effects. Including the effect that "I am so doped out I will never look into myself and resolve my inner issues".
And so doctors ans soforth are educated to think that the prescription is the best thing for them. But really it could be that they are just turning your son into a dope. Now he wont hurt anybody... But he can't help himself. When drugs like Lythium were first found, it was nicknamed "the chemical lobotomy" - enough said.
Please google "antipsychotic side effects", and "dysphoria" and "akathisia". Those last 2 words still scare me to death.
I know exactly what your talking about, I've seen it all,. But what do I know right?
Dave
Hi Mike B,
I see that you are new around the Bipolar Forum. Maybe you can take a little time to post a little bit about yourself so that we can get to know you.
Or just chime in anytime you feel like it, like you just did. We are so happy to have you join us.
Ok number one is that it is highly unlikely that the pot is laced. They dont let you talk too freely about illegal drug use here. But to much of the stuff turns you schizophrenic. The mood swings, depression, laziness and irrational thinking all come with it. Because psychically it brings you down (they call it dope), prolonged use makes you think pessimistically.
It takes 66 days to have it run out of your system. So if you’re on it everyday, then you sit and think, and the laziness stops you from acting. Loss of action eventuates in a meaningless life with not much to show for. And with the pessimism it's easy to look down on yourself. Depression. So in a depressed state you take more and play computer or ponder and be lazy. There is also a big link to "megalomania".
Megalomania is the belief that you are exalted higher than anyone else, even if you aren't. So it is common to hear stories of "being the greatest artist ever known, one day". And that belief soothes depressing fact that while your doing nothing now, one day you will be everything.
The fact is, megalomaniacs can be correct in what they think. And a regular day job will not cut it. If megalomaniacs can start to believe in "persistence" and "hard work", then one day they could well have their small empire. Of course, I am not sure if your son is a megalomaniac, but if he says such things then he would be somewhat.
Number two is that while it is good to research further to find a more suitable drug for your son, the body is always better with none at all.
BUT, how to get from being on drugs to having none in the blood stream at all?? You cant go cold turkey, unless he is above all willing, and inside he has a strong mind. For the strong ones I have seen this works incredibly well. But no way do I suggest it (don’t do this at home).
The only reason that drugs are taken is to cure unhappiness. The effects of unhappiness IS a chemical imbalance, but needs to be treated in a more effective way than the ineffective quick fix we have available if we want “total rehabilitation”.
Total rehabilitation is to be content and happy with yourself and your environment. To be able to have things work for you.
What will work for your son? He may not know. He probably has not been strait for years, and doesn’t really know how he would feel about certain ventures if he were strait. He finds it easy to throw everything into the pessimistic basket. “That’s not me” “I wont like it”.
Exercise and Study are the best chemical replacement for the drugs because they give rewards. The adrenaline and testosterone and good serotonin pathways are feel good chemicals from the exercise. But with the use of any antipsychotic drug, the dopaminergic pathways are blocked somewhat. Meaning that they don’t get upset, but they can’t smile or feel good either – dysphoria.
So, we need to get right into your sons brain. He needs to counsel himself or trust someone else to do it for him. He needs to find out what he will love doing for a job. What his dreams and aspirations are. Then those dreams need to be given short term and long term goals. And then find the meaning of “persistence” and “hard work”.
You can’t study or practice your goals on drugs, and those drugs stop you from feeling good about it. But the seed grows with persistence. And the rewards begin to be better than the drugs. And that’s the weening process.
“You can only get off one drug if there is a better one available!” And that drug needs to be success. Success in work. Success in exercise. Success in love for yourself. And then success in love for others.
Finding this “Success drug” can be so hard. But once it is found, it has been there all along. He has to find it himself, and that’s the helpless part on your behalf. All anyone can do is TRY TRY TRY.
Forget the past, Look forward!
Serafena
Co-Moderator, Bipolar Forum
Bipolar II
Hey Researchmjr
Ok number one is that it is highly unlikely that the pot is laced. They dont let you talk too freely about illegal drug use here. But to much of the stuff turns you schizophrenic. The mood swings, depression, laziness and irrational thinking all come with it. Because psychically it brings you down (they call it dope), prolonged use makes you think pessimistically.
It takes 66 days to have it run out of your system. So if you’re on it everyday, then you sit and think, and the laziness stops you from acting. Loss of action eventuates in a meaningless life with not much to show for. And with the pessimism it's easy to look down on yourself. Depression. So in a depressed state you take more and play computer or ponder and be lazy. There is also a big link to "megalomania".
Megalomania is the belief that you are exalted higher than anyone else, even if you aren't. So it is common to hear stories of "being the greatest artist ever known, one day". And that belief soothes depressing fact that while your doing nothing now, one day you will be everything.
The fact is, megalomaniacs can be correct in what they think. And a regular day job will not cut it. If megalomaniacs can start to believe in "persistence" and "hard work", then one day they could well have their small empire. Of course, I am not sure if your son is a megalomaniac, but if he says such things then he would be somewhat.
Number two is that while it is good to research further to find a more suitable drug for your son, the body is always better with none at all.
BUT, how to get from being on drugs to having none in the blood stream at all?? You cant go cold turkey, unless he is above all willing, and inside he has a strong mind. For the strong ones I have seen this works incredibly well. But no way do I suggest it (don’t do this at home).
The only reason that drugs are taken is to cure unhappiness. The effects of unhappiness IS a chemical imbalance, but needs to be treated in a more effective way than the ineffective quick fix we have available if we want “total rehabilitation”.
Total rehabilitation is to be content and happy with yourself and your environment. To be able to have things work for you.
What will work for your son? He may not know. He probably has not been strait for years, and doesn’t really know how he would feel about certain ventures if he were strait. He finds it easy to throw everything into the pessimistic basket. “That’s not me” “I wont like it”.
Exercise and Study are the best chemical replacement for the drugs because they give rewards. The adrenaline and testosterone and good serotonin pathways are feel good chemicals from the exercise. But with the use of any antipsychotic drug, the dopaminergic pathways are blocked somewhat. Meaning that they don’t get upset, but they can’t smile or feel good either – dysphoria.
So, we need to get right into your sons brain. He needs to counsel himself or trust someone else to do it for him. He needs to find out what he will love doing for a job. What his dreams and aspirations are. Then those dreams need to be given short term and long term goals. And then find the meaning of “persistence” and “hard work”.
You can’t study or practice your goals on drugs, and those drugs stop you from feeling good about it. But the seed grows with persistence. And the rewards begin to be better than the drugs. And that’s the weening process.
“You can only get off one drug if there is a better one available!” And that drug needs to be success. Success in work. Success in exercise. Success in love for yourself. And then success in love for others.
Finding this “Success drug” can be so hard. But once it is found, it has been there all along. He has to find it himself, and that’s the helpless part on your behalf. All anyone can do is TRY TRY TRY.
Forget the past, Look forward!