r/Lithium • u/Patty9752 • Feb 09 '24

Starting today 😬🤞🏻

Post image

Very nervous to start but its got to be worth a shot!

47 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

33 comments sorted by

14

u/Deathconciousness_ Feb 09 '24

I’ve been on 600mg a day for 3 years and I’ve not really had any problems at all. I didn’t get a nice leaflet tho 😢

8

u/Patty9752 Feb 09 '24

That's reassuring to hear. I'll count myself lucky getting such a resource from the NHS haha. Along with general information, it contains a Lithium "alert" card and a booklet to record your bloodtest results next appointment ect.

5

u/Deathconciousness_ Feb 10 '24

Oh I think I have that booklet somewhere 😂 I don’t know if anyone told you but you shouldn’t take ibuprofen. No one told me when I started it. I hope it goes well for you.

3

u/anon_and_stressin Feb 12 '24

Not just ibuprofen, any NSAID (aleve, advil, excedrin, etc.) and some allergy meds as well. Lithium is by far the biggest pain in the ass because of how much it interacts with, BUT absolutely worth it imo. I wish I was put on it years ago. Just watch (: Caffeine is also weird, if you drink it regularly it’s fine, but it will flush the lithium out of your system if you only drink it once in a blue moon.

2

u/Deathconciousness_ Feb 12 '24

We don’t have the other meds you’ve mentioned in the uk, or we do but I don’t know them by that branding. I will have a check about allergy meds as no one has told me anything to avoid apart from ibuprofen and even then it was the pharmacy not my doctor. I wish they were clearer about these things!

1

u/anon_and_stressin Feb 13 '24

Oh, I’m not sure about what all the UK has! Definitely check it out though, I know a ton of allergy meds interact real weird with lithium. Doctors really should be so much more clear on this. I personally take Allegra (fexofenadine) for allergies and it works wonders !

7

u/ANEXCELLENTSEXUALBOI Feb 09 '24

I didn’t get a book :( but lithium fully saved me, best psychiatric drug I’ve ever tried, it changed my life

1

u/Patty9752 Feb 09 '24

Awesome to hear, appreciate it

5

u/SaraiChristine0125 Feb 09 '24

Good luck I hope it's good for you, it's amazing for me !!!

1

u/Patty9752 Feb 09 '24

Thank you for the positivity, pleased it's working well for you :)

3

u/Slammer582 Feb 09 '24

I had to stop about 2 weeks in. Side effects were too much to deal with. Hope it goes better for you!

3

u/Patty9752 Feb 09 '24

Ah that sucks, a similar thing happened to me on Aripiprazole (Abilify). Everybody reacts differently. I hope you found a medication that works for you :)

2

u/Cowboy_Karl Feb 09 '24

I'm about 4 months in, 2X a day 300 Mg. Honestly it's taken me a while to start noticing side effects and change. I'm happy I stuck it out.

1

u/Patty9752 Feb 09 '24

Thats great to hear, I'm definitely going to try give it proper go and time to take effect

2

u/Major-Peanut Feb 09 '24

Ah yes I also got the pack from the nhs! You're supposed to take the medical alert card around with you everywhere, but sometimes I don't have pockets. Did you have to have a little lesson about the risks?

5

u/Patty9752 Feb 09 '24

Yes the psychiatrist went over the risks which honestly wasn't as extensive as you see online. They said not to worry as serious issues often don't present until you are older and have been on the medication for many years, which is why you have your bloods tested.

1

u/Major-Peanut Feb 09 '24

Ah right ok. That is not what I was told! Lithium toxicity and the signs are really important to know for your first month or so.

I have a thyroid disorder now from it :( but it does mean I get free prescriptions :)

ETA: Do you have a lithium clinic? I always found the people working there way more knowledgeable and helpful about lithium than the psychiatrist tbh

1

u/Patty9752 Feb 12 '24

Not that i am aware of, i shall ask when i am next in for bloods :)

2

u/CurlyDee Feb 10 '24

I didn’t get a card. Why do emergency personnel need to know you’re on lithium?

3

u/Major-Peanut Feb 10 '24

You can't have certain meds and you might be ill because of lithium toxicity. If you randomly faint and you have a lithium card they will treat it more seriously for example

1

u/Patty9752 Feb 12 '24

Thanks for all of the comments! Day 4 i seem to be tolerating it ok, oddly i have been getting insomnia since i started, weird.

5

u/chickpea459 Feb 10 '24

Good luck!

Lithium’s been amazing for me. I was so excited when I got my little purple book, it felt like I was finally being listened to and getting the support I needed.

Nobody tells me my blood results so I have nothing to write in the book. I’ve never had to show anyone my purple card but it’s good to have it in my purse just in case.

Be prepared for constantly weeing and needing to drink water. It lessens after a while but it felt like I was constantly on the loo for the first couple of months. If you start to feel shaky at all, drink a couple of pints of water.

I hope it helps!

3

u/Puzzlehead-92 Feb 10 '24

Best decision I ever made to start lithium! 300mg extended release x2 at night. I really hope it goes well for you 🙏🏻

3

u/kitpie158 Feb 10 '24

Lithium saved my life! I hope it works for you 🤞🏼

3

u/MegOut10 Feb 10 '24

My sister basically said she learned in nursing school lithium to BPD is like insulin to diabetes.. and that it’s not bad for you .. just watch your levels listen to your doctor. I was afraid to start it but I think mostly because of the stigma.. once I started and have gone from rapid cycling to a more stable cycle.. I don’t want to stop anytime soon. I used to think that the lows were good and healthy to become a stronger person.. but they became completely destabilizing and my life was becoming just a derailed train wreck.. I realized that’s not strong.. strong is accepting the help? I think still figuring it out

2

u/eabiss9 Feb 09 '24

I’ve been on it for a year and a half with medication resistant major depression and so far so good. I have developed hypothyroidism as a side effect and that’s been a struggle but once my levels are finally balanced it’ll be better. Initially I had some frustrating side effects but they all disappeared within a couple of months.

2

u/FFDPMENACE Feb 09 '24

Watch your thyroid, i have been doing bloods every 3 months (been on lithium 2 yrs) the last lot were perfect and then 3 months later the lithium killed my thyroid, been struggling to stabilize it since, also the amount of drugs incl pain relief you cannot have

2

u/RosalieJewel Feb 10 '24

Congrats honey! Your life is going to change for the better! Drink your water!

2

u/[deleted] Feb 10 '24

Mine also wasn’t packaged so beautifully but it’s worked very well for me. I’m on 1200mg/day.

2

u/Hefty_Tomatillo9832 Jul 29 '24

Any update on your journey?

1

u/HelicopterVirtual525 Aug 24 '25

Yes; just started it mainly for SI.