Coming off lithium
I want to get off lithium. I am bipolar 1 been symptom free for over two years. Getting fat
@Basecamp80
Okay, first things first, DO NOT stop your lithium or change your dose without speaking to your doctor first.
Secondly, the reason you've been symptom free is because you've been taking your lithium. Bipolar disorder is a lifelong illness. Once your mood has been stabilized, drug therapy is continued indefinitely to prevent relapse. When lithium treatment stops, relapses can occur within six months in 90% of patients.
When lithium is used as part of maintenance therapy for bipolar disorder, your doctor will want to take regular blood tests during your treatment because it can affect kidney and thyroid function. Which can also affect weight gain.
There's lots of reasons you could be gaining weight on lithium, some easy to fix, so you don't have to stop the medication.
Lithium often triggers increased thirstiness. Quenching your thirst with high-calorie beverages, such as full-calorie soda or fruit juice, is a possible contributor to weight gain. Lithium might also cause sodium and water retention in people who consume a high-salt diet, which can lead to added body weight.
Reduced thyroid function, or hypothyroidism, is a well-known potential complication of long-term lithium treatment. This condition leads to a reduced metabolic rate, which in turn leads to weight gain. Hence the blood tests.
Talk to your doctor about your options, he could lower your dose, but that does put you at risk of relapse. Usually the best way to tackle the weight gain is through diet and exercise.
Perhaps it is also worth mentioning that lithium is not the only medication for bipolar disorder, and your doctor will know about several other options. Some people are able to stop taking lithium by working with their doctor to find a good alternative, and by managing the transition carefully so as to prevent relapse. Some people, however, find that lithium is the only medication that works for them.
@CallMeKari
@RarelyCharlie
Right.. I was on lithium for a few months.. and then my doctor changed it to Prozac.. I'm also Bipolar type 2 so that might make more of a difference.. but yeah alternative medications was my route..
@delakeeks I was recently diagnosed bipolar type 2 but I haven't tried any medications yet due to insurance issues, I was just wondering how long did it take before you noticed a change in your mood swings if you had any?
@optimisticWheel8698
In 1-2 weeks to be honest. But that's me personally.. I learned in nursing school that antidepressants (especially SSRI.. i.e my prozac) take 3-6 weeks to reach the therapuetic effect ( be an antidepressant.. or in my experience.. it was like an anti-emotion pill..)
I always log my mood everyday.. to see the trending pattern.. my episodes would come and stay in weeks.. my longest duration of major depression was back in 2015 for 8 months and on suicide watch.. lol ok getting off topic.
Its going to be different for everyone.. My body is also very sensitive to any medication so anything for me personally acts instantly... but in 1-2 weeks I noticed I wasn't extremely depressed or extremely happy or extremely mad .. emotionless but thats what I needed.. crying spells ( symptom of depression) happened like everyday during innappropriate hours (like at work which is in dialysis) or study.. I needed to be stabilized and Prozac did it for me.. I didn't really feel anything with lithium personally.. and i was afraid of thyroid problems since my grandpa had thyroid cancer
@optimisticWheel8698
Also forgot to add.. i havent cried or had extreme fatigue and depression and panic attacks since ive gotten on prozac 20mg :) ! Stabilized.. its more of an anti-emotion pill in my experience.
@delakeeks
Anti-emotion seems a little foreign for me to imagine. What is that like exactly?
@pennyishere
Like no emotions.. like I used to cry everyday (even during innappropriate times) and feel extremely hopeless and sad.. but on my meds I don't behave that way anymore... I used to be overly energetic and joyful and euphoric as hell as if im on top of the world and just hyper.. I mean I still am but a little bit more toned down lol.. I used to have pressured speech and over spilled or shared too much to others.. but I dont feel those spilling of emotions anymore..
Emotionless.. or how some people say they feel like zombie's on antidepressants.. but in my opinion i feel like a robot.. like no feelings. Emotionless..
@delakeeks
that is great!
I hope that everyone understand that I have to add that all medications and doses are personal to the individual so everyone please talk to a medical professional to find out the options applicable to you.
