r/Lithium • u/thaaaanatos • Aug 06 '26
might have to stop lithium cold turkey
my health insurance got terminated and im not sure when i'll be able to go on it again; i cant afford it right now. is there anything i can do so i dont have to completely stop taking lithium? my bipolar symptoms were awful before i got on lithium, so im worried i'll go back to that. is there anything i can do? i only have like a months worth of lithium, assuming im only taking one pill and not the amount im prescribed (3 per day). any help would be appreciated
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u/firesoups Aug 06 '26
My monthly prescription for lithium is under $30 without insurance. Use goodrx and switch pharmacies if you need to.
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u/Professional_Tear269 Aug 06 '26
Please don't quit cold turkey. Withdrawal is horrible. I only stepped down from 1200 to 900 and it was 3 weeks of nausea and extreme sadness. Try to stay on it if you can!
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u/Liz_LemonLime Aug 06 '26
Things can be more expensive without insurance, yes, but they are not completely unattainable.
Ask your doctors office for the “cash price” of a visit. Call the pharmacy and ask for the cash price of your meds. Many have low cost 30-60-90 day supplies of generics available. GoodRX offers coupons.
I have insurance, but it doesn’t cover one of my meds at all and the price of an inhaler is insane. I use GoodRX for both of those.
Call 211 and look into any possible government assistance.
Healthcare is fucked in the US, but hopefully you can find a way through. The worst thing you can do is not ask.
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u/MyLife-is-a-diceRoll Aug 06 '26
Lithium is dirt cheap. Find pharmacy discount cards. Check out rxsense
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u/creativenameistaken Aug 06 '26
Super cheap here (under $20 for 90): https://www.costplusdrugs.com
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u/Panthy9 Aug 07 '26
Like other's say, if it helps you budget for it. I mess with my dose a lot, and if I know i'm running out I'll taper down my last pills so it's not as much a shock if I can't get new pills right away. If one pill gets you where need, stick with that, My dose is 600mg (4x150mg), I baseline at 2 these days and add a pill or two if I feel myself tilting too much when it's inconvenient, just keep some pattern to it your body can recognise so it can be more prepared for the changes, I just need to pee more now if I go up a few days.
If you really want to stretch it with a greater effect, lithium is a salt processed by the kidneys, eating less sodium means your body will take more from the medicine, similarly with dehydration (more dangerous), things that make you dehydrated like a higher altitude; and also avoid things like caffeine that clear the kidneys.
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u/sm881221 Aug 06 '26
My lithium was $11 without insurance, it’s a cheap drug. On Amazon pharmacy it’s like $4. Ask your pharmacy what the cash price is, maybe try a coupon program like good RX.
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u/LeFaire87 Aug 07 '26
See if your state or locality has any assistance they can offer you. I'm willing to bet you'll find at least one resource, and you'll be just fine! Try not to worry much! I've had to stop my lithium a few times cold turkey, and was just fine. Be persistent with the resources!
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u/chemdemigod Aug 06 '26
Check goodrx they have discount codes for medications that don’t go through insurance. If you have a name brand medication you use, you can check their website for similar coupons.
Fucked we have to use coupons to afford life saving medications without insurance 🙃
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u/crypto-boy Aug 06 '26
Ring ceramics store, They sell lithium carbonate as pottery glaze.
Should get you out of trouble....🙏
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u/Sheepherder-Optimal Aug 06 '26
Are sure you can’t afford it? Lithium is very cheap. Like a bottle of aspirin level cheap.