So my therapist is thinking about putting me on lithium to stabilize my moods. Anyone have any experience with this?
It's not good for your kidneys at all. For mood stabilization, I'm on Trileptal and Seroquel. Now do you have bipolar disorder or a bipolar-spectrum disorder?
i was put on lithium for a while. tell them u dont want it. i gained 40 pounds and i was constantly sick. it was horrible. it makes u eat a lot more and it didnt help me at all
The comments I've heard from people on lithium mirror what others have said, and I've known several people that said it made them feel very "out of it" all the time, even though it was a relatively low dose. Lithium, as far as I know, is a pretty aggressive treatment. I would either discuss with your doc or get a second opinion. Also... keep in mind, if your therapist is a psychiatrist, they as a group tend to go for drugs very quickly, while psychologists tend to be a little more conservative. There's a bit of a disagreement between psychiatrists and psychologists as to when it's appropriate (necessary) to prescribe meds, and for me personally, I would be inclined to minimize the use of meds if there are other ways of managing the issues, because nearly all meds have undesirable side effects and are not particularly good for your body.
they put me on a bunch of different meds for my depression but my dad and i both think i could manage it without them. but if they wanna put u on something i would suggest lexapro cuz thats what im on and so is one of my friends and im very sensitive to meds and ive had no problems with lexapro
Yeah Lithium is really a last resort when it comes to mood stabilizers. One person I know who is on it because she is severely bipolar and becomes verbally and physically abusive and dangerous to herself and others when she's manic and hasn't responded to any of the other medicines approved for bipolar disorder. So if you can swing it, ask if you can have something else instead.
I'm on lexapro already. But they want to put me on something else, cause I am refusing to take Abilify, which I had been on for a few months. It made me dizzy and my thinking slow. And weight gain? No. I'm trying to LOSE weight. So I think I'll pass on the Lithium. Neither. Just depression. I have no idea why they are prescribing it.
see i was confused on y they wanted me on lithium also. they also put me on tegratol along with lexapro. ask him/her about that cuz it works just great for me
I'm on Effexer, ( not sure how to spell it,I take the generic), for depression. I was on the max dose of Paxil,for years and it stopped working. I was on Lithium,several years ago. ( LIQUID! YUK!) It made me like a zombie. I hated it. Finally,I found a Dr. to take me off it. I didn't even NEED to be on it! It was horrible. My dad was on that,plus several other meds,for years. I know he slept. A LOT! He was schitzo-affective. I know he felt like crap on it,but it DID help him.
perhaps listening to the Nirvana song "Lithium" would give you a little light on this subject. I never knew it was used for that! They are probably gonna put me on it at some point, cause I get really bad for a few hours each day, so I should say no if they ask me to considering your opinions!
As far as I know, Tegretol is primarily an anti-seizure medication and is also a very powerful medication with a ton of side effects. I have never heard of it being used for depression. If you are on Lexapro and concerned about weight, be aware that a not insignificant subset of people who take it experience weight gain, lethargy, and generally low energy. This tends to happen with higher doses, but I've heard of cases where it happens even with lower dosages. If you gained weight since starting it, that might be why. But if you aren't having an issue with these symptoms, then it is probably not a concern for you. As far as Abilify, I took a look at the clinical pharmacology information for the drug, and it appears to be primarily an antipsychotic for treating schizophrenia, with a secondary use as an "add-on" to antidepressants (but indicated only for use with "major depression"), though the actual data in their disclosure looks sorta flimsy to me. I am wondering if someone is not being completely straight with you, because both Abilify and lithium are primarily antipsychotics, and if you are saying that you don't have episodes of mania or other symptoms of psychosis or schizophrenia, I'm really wondering why they are trying to prescribe one or both of these drugs. If the Lexapro is not working, the typical response would be to try a different antidepressant, either from the same class as Lexapro (Zoloft, Prozac and the like) or something like Wellbutrin. Are you seeing both a psychotherapist and a psychiatrist? Have you considered getting a consult with another psychiatrist? These days, psychiatrists are literally bombarded with visits from drug companies, and, as a group, they are primarily trained to prescribe drugs for psychological issues, even when there may be other, less invasive ways of treating your situation. If there really are no underlying additional issues other than depression, I would really want to consider getting a second opinion, and depending on how serious the depression is, perhaps consider trying non-drug alternatives (more frequent psychotherapy with a good therapist, exercise, dietary changes) in cooperation with a psychologist.
^ Just because they're antipsychotics doesn't mean that the person has a psychotic illness or bipolar. I was prescribed a low dose of Seroquel for mood stabilization. But then again, a little while after that I was diagnosed with a psychotic illness.
