Lithium toxicity or temp side effect?

[Dreamline]

Everything I have read about lithium says conflicting things on what is a side effect or sing of toxicity.  They are both the same.  It says call your doctor immediately if you have a tremor...I've had a tremor for over a year!  Anyway so here's the problem, sorry for this information but I had the shits today once after my morning dose and feel perfectly fine otherwise...yesterday it was similar but not as bad.  Am I gonna die?  I fucking need to go to the gym but don't want to inconveniently get sick or die or some bullshit.  I dunno what to do.

[Phyllis]

I've never been on lithium, but I have heard this is a common occurance when your on it.

[Dreamline]

I guess its nothing I went to the gym today and kicked ass and everything's fine fuck it!

[Paz]

 I used to shake like crazy when they had me on Lith, and they said that it was just the way my body reacted to it, and they were taking my blood every fucking week for a long time, so my levels were not toxic. Lith made me so sick after being on it for awhile, yet they did not listen to my complaints, even though they could see how badly I shook.
  And the thirst and the spaciness and the peeing constantly.....not to mention having to stay out of the sun! Forget it, I don't care if Lith is the "gold standard" of BP treatment, if something makes you feel like crap, then you shouldn't take it.....Lith is very hard on your kidneys, and 9 times out of 10 it will cause your thyroid to screw up. My previous Pdoc[how I miss her!] listened to my complaints and concerns about meds and she told me that if a med has side effects that you can't tolerate, then you need to take a different med. She said complaints about med side effects is the #1 reason why BP's are not med compliant. Her thinking is that the patient needs to be comfortable with the meds, and if the Doc & patient can agree on a course of treatment, then everyone wins.
 The reason that I take Neurontin as mood stabilizer is because other meds made me ill, and still others that she wanted me to try I refused b/c of side effects and long term health problems.
 Neurontin gives me no side effects except for a bit of clumsiness and spaciness that lasts for about a half hour, then I'm good. It works differently than the other anti-convulsant mood stabilizers, and I feel that it helps immensely.[DJ agrees, and it helps with neuropathic pain, which I suffer from....stupid old injuries!] I used to also take Depakote with the Lith, and The Neurontin is SO different from the Depakote! Much better in my opinion.
 All of us BP's have different body chemistry, I am glad that I found something that works that I will actually take.
 Remember that Lithium isn't the only thing out there, and it may stop working[the Docs said that is what probably happened to me]. It might be on the periodic table of elements, but it is still poison at the wrong dose.

[Dreamline]

People can even have toxic reactions to it on less than the therapeutic range let alone within the therapeutic range.  Maybe you did...fuck that, shaking like hell and all.  I may end up asking my p/doc about neurotonin...he listens to me when I bitch...now if I can not be stupid and ask about benzos next time...I didn't shut up and think at all.   

So far I haven't had any other than the usual side effects today...so far its not working very good...maybe a little I dunno if its just making me tired or its slowing me down a bit. 

[Paz]

 You should ask about all other mood stabilizers[not just Neurontin]. See what the Doc has to say. Some Docs think that Neurontin is ineffective, but they can only go by what they have seen with patients, they don't have personal experience.

[Dreamline]

I have tried the others accept valproate and topamax I think.  I need something that will not only kick mania in the ass but help with suicidal depression and that can't be an anti depressant.    Lithium has helped a lot...adding Lamictal really worked but I got a fucking rash.

[Paz]

 If Lith works and doesn't make you sick, then maybe you should stick with it.
 I tried Topamax.....they call it "dopamax" and it's true!
 Depakote made me very calm, but I couldn't take the side effects, facial tic, tremors, my hair falling out and I had the shits really bad. If it didn't have such bad side effects, I would have stayed on it......it really helped me to be calm.
 Depression will always be something that I feel they can't help BP1's with.....we can't take AD's. We have to just try and cope as best as we can. 

[D13C]

Personally on all the medication I've ever taken I shake, coarse and fine tremors. It isn't really a problem mostly. It has down graded my pool-playing from okay-hack (beat good players occasionally) to beginner and I can't weld well anymore but what can you do? Lithium is probably the worst though.

[Dreamline]

Fuck this shit, its making me tired dammit....NOOOOOO!!!!  I hate loosing my high!!! Fucking uncoordinated, my speech isn't slurred ro any shit like that but I feel uncoordinated when I do shit and was playing with my dog last night outside and felt like I didn't have any speed or agility.

[cadno]

Welcome to my world, well the world of Lithium, population 1'000'000 and rising!

Seriously though, Lithium is a bitch of a drug, because it does work but what it does to you is a high price to pay in my opinion.  Most of my family and friends say how they miss the old me, the me that was med free.  But its a double edged sword, on one hand yes I felt free, but that freedom came with a risk factor that was far too high a price to pay.  But I do understand, lithium at high doses literally seems to make your brain go from swimming through the calm waters to swimming through treacle!

Maybe it might be worth speaking with your doc and lowering the dose, find that 'point' where you are balanced enough with the help of it but also still have the ability to be on a higher level of functioning.

Rich

[Dreamline]

Yeah I keep having black holes in my thinking from the shit.  I don't feel as uncoordinated today and no stomach issues at all.  Hopefully the black holes will diminish.  I was just on 1500mg and now 1800, so maybe 1650mg one day.  That's if this even works...it mellows me out when I take my morning dose and night dose but in between I'm still amped.  After each dose I get tired and spaced but can snap right out of it.  I did sleep almost 7 hours last night, not normal sleep but vivid dream, wake up several times sleep...no deep sleep, but its still an improvement.

[Dreamline]

I was gone and my pdoc office called again today (1st time was about an appointment).  I just had blood work done yesterday and they never call about results unless there is something wrong.  Well they called and my dad answered the phone.  The only info I got from him was; she asked if I have been having any problems and he said he had no idea (fucking clueless).  I called back but it was too late.  WTF?  Hopefully its not sky high and I am going to die...such bullshit but surely she would have told him.  I am hoping she called just to check if I am doing ok and not getting worse.

[Paz]

 Just call back when they are open, it will ease your worried mind. If you keep thinking about it, you will only get more stressed, and you don't need that.

[tomcat13claws]

If you are worried, just keep hydrated like a mo fo.  I'm sure if there were a problem or if you were toxic they'd have contacted you somehow.  It would be neglegent for them to leave you in a dangerous state without notifying you or your father, unless it were were a hipaa (privacy) thing by notifying father.  Keep drinking lots of water if your worried. And DON'T take Motrin (Ibuprophin) or any other "NSAIDS."  They will raise Li levels.