How long does it take for Lithium to work? - Bipolar Disorder Message Board

JustDave4now · 06-02-2005, 08:07 AM

Went to my BP doc with my mood chart, I tried to talk him into just
controlling this with mental alertness and being careful, he wasn't buying it, exspecially after looking at my chart.

Back on Lithium I go, Depakote gave me foggy brain so that didn't work. A little nervous about Lithium, is scares me, it has such a bad rap. He put me on LIthium the first time, but I refused to take it after reading all the bad press and tried Depakote, but that gave me Fog head in the worse way, and I lost all my creative abilities, I hope that doesn't happen on the lithium.

So he wants me to give it a shot again, I'm nervous...He thinks trying to be
cognitive about your illness is great, but that doesn't help biochemically. So I agreed to try it, but in small amounts at first and slowly.

It still scares me, Lithium seems to have scary side effects. My wife is really pushing for medication, she says she wants some relief, not sure from what, but she says it with love, so I don't take offense.

jessid · 06-02-2005, 10:00 AM

hey justdave,

i've taken lith for about 3 years and was SO nervous when i started taking it. i've found out that it's not such a scary drug after all. just make sure you drink enough water, especially during the summer, while excercising, etc and get your level tested regularly (your pdoc will order them). any questions, please feel free to ask...this is a strange road we've found ourselves on, isn't it??

jessi

all that and i didn't answer your main question! (DUH!) i felt the changes from the lith after about a week...then again i was in a raging mania at the time (ymmv). everything felt smoother...like the rough edges of life had been filed down and made more bearable. it only got better from there!

JustDave4now · 06-02-2005, 07:07 PM

Thanks Jessi,
Its nice to hear someone is having a good experience from the medication, Lithium has a scary rap.
I started to prep, I put our small portable fidge by the bed within arms reach, and filled it full of bottled water. So if I get thirsty at night, I can drink myself into a coma LOL, or most likely a bathroom run. I am going to get some bottled water for work too.
I am doing the bottled water thing, because I don't want to guzzle allot of soda, even diet. That to me, doesn't sound like a good idea.
I have also made sure I don't cut back on my salt (something to do with processing the lithium or something) and avoiding advil for some reason. THat hurts, I like advil allot, it works for me, but I can Tylenol it if i have too.

Day one - ummm nothing. I don't feel the slightest differnce, as if I didn't take it. WHich is encouraging, I didn't expect to feel better, but its nice to know that the small does doen't effect me much, so as I increase, we will see.

Heres hoping...
Dave..

dwightbean · 06-02-2005, 08:48 PM

keep us posted. yeah.

Picali · 06-03-2005, 02:20 AM

Hi Dave

Just wanted to give you another positive story - I went on Lithium about 18 months ago. Felt like death for the first week (and was pretty manic at the time so thought they were plotting to kill me - you know how it is!). But after that first week felt better than I'd ever felt and have had no problems since. Def. drink water as oppose to soda, it's much better for you.

Hope things are going well for you - good luck!

Picali xx