Lithium-anyone else get seriously screwed by this medication?

I used to be on 1800 mgs of Litihium every day, and it sent me into this horrible cloud of shit.

My hair fell out,

I had involuntary muscle spasms,

I had hand tremors,

I was always dehydrated (since it's a salt)

I slept 12 hours a day

I could only stay awake for an hour at a time.

I couldn't remember things I'd read, watched, or talked about.

It changed my personality while on it.


Thankfully, I started to have low thyroid, and got off of it (unfortuately, being in a haze, i didn't think that my symptoms were from lithium, i thought it was how i was going to be for the rest of my life). now I am on trileptal, which is much better for my lifestyle.

**anyone else have issues with it? anyone glad that they take it?

I know that meds work differently than everyone, and lithium is a primary defense drug against bipolar affective disorder (my diagnosis, I'M out of the closet!!!!), so i understand if it worked for you or didn't.

muhalo.

Meds work differently for everyone.
Lithium is a wonder drug for some..Like my relative.

about meds working differently for everyone.

i know it's an amazing drug, it just is a good indicator to remind me that we're all different, we are affected differently by everything in comparison to the rest of society, and one shouldn't assume that if something doesn't work for them that it won't work for anyone else.

was one of the earliest to be experimented upon with it...

took it for over 40 years and then it started causing major problems so they started experimenting some more finally they gave her an overdose of something (i need to go look up the name of the stuff again) which killed her...

i am so so sorry.

that is terrible. :hug:

for how long i took it-8 months, i can't even begin to comprehend what 40 years could do for someone that isn't primarily positively affected by the drug.

i know that it works for some...

- i hope that you find something that works well...

p.s. a hug for you too... :hug:

and err.. I'll save you the details and just say it didn't agree with me. I was later properly diagnosed with Bi-Polar and prescribed Depakote. That worked much better, although I quit after a few months. Although the disorder does have its downside, I feel like alot of my creativity and problem solving ability come from it as well, so taking it as a whole I'm willing to take the good with the bad and remain off meds.

i was originally diagnosed with bi-polar II (hypomania, the more creative mania), and then I took an over dose of lexapro and sent myself off into hypermania, the kind where you may make decisions that are incredibly unsafe, yet you one becomes very defensive and believes that their actions are acceptable.

for example, i got into a car with a bunch of stragners in my downtown area, and drove around with them until i demanded (well yelled really) that they let me out. and that is not me at all.

i hope to be off meds someday soon. i'm already on the lowest doses for most of my meds, so i hope that there will be a break in the horizon for me soon.

:hi: