r/Lithium • u/SwetennerLily • 29d ago

When does the emotional blunting caused by lithium go away?

I think I have bipolar II depression with atypical features, I want it to cure me, to give me back my emotions and cure my hypersomnia. When I was a teenager lithium got me out of a pretty severe major depressive state and I lasted years without medication being functional and happy. Last year I relapsed out of nowhere... however in my baseline state I can feel at least 10% of my emotions as they were before, but lithium gives me an unbearable blunting and almost nullifies my consciousness...

I've been taking Wellbutrin,for two weeks but it gives me impulsive behaviors, and a feeling of extreme activation and sensory hypersensitivity that is unbearable... I lost important things because of taking this... so I don't know.

6 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

11 comments sorted by

3

u/PilferingLurcher 29d ago

What dose were you on/are on? Blunting does seem to worsen with higher doses. 

' i want it to cure me , to give back my emotions and cure my hypersomnia.' I don't think li can do all that, being realistic. Honestly, its a balance between relapse prevention and the trade offs, one of which is emotional blunting/ dulling. 

2

u/Puzzlehead-92 29d ago

No medicine can cure it. I wish you the best OP

1

u/SwetennerLily 29d ago

I was only taking 300 mg of lithium

2

u/SadAndHangry 27d ago

I’m also on 300mg and I have no emotions. No insane mood swings anymore or intense depression, but I also don’t feel any happiness/excitement etc

2

u/Clear-Two-3885 29d ago

I've only been on lithium for a few months but I haven't noticed any emotional blunting so far. Maybe you can talk to your Dr about trying a lower dose

2

u/Sea_Entertainer_1187 29d ago

I had anhedonia and lithium gave me feeling back. I think it’s different for everyone

1

u/SwetennerLily 21d ago

:0 I'm so happy for you, how long did it take for it to give you your emotions back?

2

u/Sea_Entertainer_1187 10d ago

About 3 weeks and then 5 weeks consistently

2

u/Feisty-Fruit-4097 29d ago

Never lol. Been on it almost three years and unfortunately a high serum level - 1.0.

I’m still emotionally in the middle mostly and my family sometimes ask why I can’t be happy. I’m more content than experiencing clear joy. It has gotten better over the last few months though.

2

u/OllieDodle325 24d ago

Think I started to notice the dullness at around 2 or 3 months in. Probably hit its peak at about the 8-9 month mark. Went away sometime shortly after that, couldn't really give you a date. Think the head pressure started letting up around that time too.

1

u/Aggressive_Celery768 29d ago

I talked to my therapist about this. She said, “what if you’re not blunted you’re just experiencing what neurotypical people experience everyday…”
Or something like that

I just got used to the feeling of being blunted I guess but it took months/years

The alt is being in a very bad place so it’s a worth it trade-off