Joined: 20 Mar 2007 Posts: 4 Location: san francisco
Alternatives to lithium Posted: 04-26-08 12:52pm
So, in january I started taking lithium,
along with my lexapro. My doctor decided
I needed it after a debilitating cocaine
and ecstacy spree (not to mention I had a
problem for years with alcoholism). I had
gotten very suicidal and would go into
delusional paranoid states. I was on a
low dose, only 600 mg (my doctor wanted me
to up it, but I felt like a vegetable). I
quit doing drugs, and mostly quit drinking
( i have a beer occasionally with dinner,
but no binging any longer). I became very
physically active, running, riding my
bike, rock climbing, and started to feel
really good. However, I had to be pushed
to do things. I had absolutely no
motivation to do anything, and although my
moods had smoothed out my mental state
(they smoothed out, but not enough for me
to stay on it) they only smoothed out my
obsessing over things that didn't matter.
I was still irritable.
So. I stopped taking lithium because it
made me not care, made me gain weight,
made me lazy, and mostly i quit taking it
for the stigma that follows people who
take lithium. It made me ashamed of who I
was.
However, now I am irritable all the time.
I'm not sure if it's just stress, which I
have been under a lot lately. My
boyfriend also just got off of klonopins
for severe panick attacks, and is also
really irritable.
I'm not sure if I am bipolar, or if I was
misdiagnosed, if I just have anxiety
disorder, or something else. It seems
like my moods are triggered by something
external, but then sometimes I completely
lose it and get hysterical and am a
completely different person. Manic
depression runs in my family, my brother
has it, and my father has it, however so
does anxiety disorder (my mom's side).
The lithium made me feel a lot better, but
I'm not sure if it made me feel good
enough to still be on it. I don't like
being unmotivated. I'm debating whether
to get on it again, or go to the pdoc to
try something new.
bottom line: are there any good
alternatives to lithium that don't make
you lethargic? or as lethargic?
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jarryd rule
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 26 Apr 2008 Posts: 1
Posted: 04-26-08 12:59pm
hey i had sex with a girl and i did nt use
a condome.hw lng do we have until she cant
have the injection and has 2 get a
abortion?
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antigone
Moderator
Joined: 27 Jan 2008 Posts: 965 Location: IL
Thanks: 48
Thanked:18
Posted: 04-26-08 20:40pm
Go see your pdoc again. There are lots of
alternatives. Mood stabilizers may do the
trick for you. Talk with your doctor. Tell
him how you feel, how you felt on the
lituium - the pros and cons of taking
lithium, and report the side effects you
experienced. See what your doctor has to
offer for treatment. I hope you will
discuss this with your doctor and get some
professional advice.
