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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 10 of 10. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by rjlockhart37 on July 15, 2022, at 16:00:51
im going off it soon, it was ment to stablize during a depressive time. But, im on 600mg daily, i take 300mg capsule in morning, and then 300 at night. It seems it lost its effect, or it just adapted, i don't notice the lithium, ill take it in the morning 1 capsule, and notice no differnce. But maybe its suppost to be like that, and just stablize mood. I'm known, or my danm body is known to adapt to medication, dumbass body likes to make things tolerant. But, i did one time, take 600mg in morning because my prozac was not filled and i had no prozac, so i took 2 capsules of 600mg, with 400mg of lamotragine, and did notice a antideressant effect, even without prozac. But im just sick and tired of my body becoming tolerant to everything. We plan on stopping it, fast. Because i need to be back on 80mg prozac. My body has not adapted totally to fluoxetine, if i don't have it, the day will be grueling and gloom.
Anyways, does anyone here who take lithium, do you notice a effect, because i've become adapted to it, dumbass body likes to adapt everything
Posted by rjlockhart37 on July 15, 2022, at 16:04:13
In reply to lithium, posted by rjlockhart37 on July 15, 2022, at 16:00:51
need to be a better example and not complain, it's just lithium seems to be a placebo. When i first took it, after a couple of weeks it work, but then after time, yeah my body likes to adapt to medication. Tolerant.
If anyone here takes lithium, let me know
Posted by SLS on July 15, 2022, at 18:44:35
In reply to lithium, posted by rjlockhart37 on July 15, 2022, at 16:00:51
> im going off it soon, it was ment to stablize during a depressive time. But, im on 600mg daily, i take 300mg capsule in morning, and then 300 at night. It seems it lost its effect, or it just adapted, i don't notice the lithium, ill take it in the morning 1 capsule, and notice no differnce. But maybe its suppost to be like that, and just stablize mood. I'm known, or my danm body is known to adapt to medication, dumbass body likes to make things tolerant. But, i did one time, take 600mg in morning because my prozac was not filled and i had no prozac, so i took 2 capsules of 600mg, with 400mg of lamotragine, and did notice a antideressant effect, even without prozac. But im just sick and tired of my body becoming tolerant to everything. We plan on stopping it, fast. Because i need to be back on 80mg prozac. My body has not adapted totally to fluoxetine, if i don't have it, the day will be grueling and gloom.
>
> Anyways, does anyone here who take lithium, do you notice a effect, because i've become adapted to it, dumbass body likes to adapt everything.
Didn't I answer this question from you not too long ago?
- Scott
Posted by rjlockhart37 on July 16, 2022, at 16:37:30
In reply to Re: lithium » rjlockhart37, posted by SLS on July 15, 2022, at 18:44:35
lithium has minimal effects on me, i'm on 600mg, 900 for a while, i did notice a lift in mood, when i was sitting by the window on my laptop i took my afternoon lithium, and i started enjoying hearing the birds chirp or sing. But...i'm known to become tolerant to medications, it's happened alot, dumbass body. It's effectst were noticed about 3-4 weeks into it. But then yeah now when i take my afternoon lithium, i hardly notice anything like it's a placebo.
Posted by SLS on July 16, 2022, at 19:25:55
In reply to Re: lithium, posted by rjlockhart37 on July 16, 2022, at 16:37:30
I would suggest that you not throw lithium away without investigating a lower dosage. Try 300 mg/day. Harvard demonstrated that adding a low dosage of lithium to fluoxetine (Prozac) 60 mg/day improved one's chances of responding to treatment. They used a range of lithium dosages between 300-600 mg/day.
I found that lithium is crucial to my improvement in depression. I performed an on-off-on experiment to be sure. However, determining the right dosage of lithium for treating *depression* is just as crucial. For me, 150 mg/day produces no effect - positive or negative. 300 mg/day is magic for me, and produces a robust response. 450 mg/day and higher causes me to relapse, and seems to make me feel worse in some ways.
The adverse effects of lithium with respect to thyroid and kidney damage is dosage-dependent. At 300 mg/day, I have no concerns. An interesting possible use of lithium is to reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's Disease. This was actually my sole motivation for continuing to take low-dosage lithium for ten years. So, it was actually nothing but dumb luck that I happened to be taking lithium for Alzheimer's Disease when Nardil was added such that I would not have responded without the lithium.
There doesn't seem to be any downside to your trying taking a lower dosage of lithium for two weeks. Based upon my own experience and the medical literature that exists, I would go ahead and start at 300 mg/day. If, after 2 weeks, should you not be improved, then you can go up to 450mg/day for another two weeks. I think that starting at 300 mg/day makes more sense than starting at 450 mg/day.
Lithium is pro-serotonergic, but it is also pro-glutamatergic at low dosages. At higher dosages, it remains serotonergic, but becomes anti-glutamatergic. A similar bimodal association exists for lithium dosages and clinical response when treating *depression*. Low dosages of lithium are pretty much useless to treat or prevent mania.
- Scott
Posted by PeterMartin on July 20, 2022, at 13:08:35
In reply to Re: lithium » rjlockhart37, posted by SLS on July 16, 2022, at 19:25:55
Lithium isn't an immediate acting medication. And even though you may not feel like it's doing anything, its been shown to grow grey matter in areas on the brain. It's neuroprotective and coming off of it may affect stability. If you feel flat then speak to your doc and maybe a reduction would be sufficient.
Of course you can come it (w doc approval), but don't assume taking it daily isn't "good for you" even if you don't "feel it".
Posted by PeterMartin on July 20, 2022, at 13:10:41
In reply to Re: lithium, posted by PeterMartin on July 20, 2022, at 13:08:35
Oh, and there are a few studies that have found it might be helpful at treating, and also preventing Covid:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35496309/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35364381/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35318909/
Abstract for the last one (re: infection):
Association between serum lithium level and incidence of COVID-19 infection
Abstract
An antiviral effect of lithium has been proposed, but never investigated for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Using electronic health records of 26 554 patients with documented serum lithium levels during the pandemic, we show that the 6-month COVID-19 infection incidence was lower among matched patients with 'therapeutic' (0.50-1.00) versus 'subtherapeutic' (0.05-0.50) lithium levels (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.82, 95% CI 0.69-0.97, P = 0.017) and among patients with 'therapeutic' lithium levels versus matched patients using valproate (HR = 0.79, 95% CI 0.67-0.92, P = 0.0023). Lower rates of infection were observed for both new COVID-19 diagnoses and positive polymerase chain reaction tests, regardless of underlying psychiatric diagnosis and vaccination status.
Posted by rjlockhart37 on July 22, 2022, at 23:29:43
In reply to Re: lithium, posted by PeterMartin on July 20, 2022, at 13:10:41
that's intreting, i've gotten all my covid shots, vaccine and also the booster shot. So, i found out, im staying on lithium, my doctor does not want to go back up on prozac and said staying on lithium. She told me if depression continues would move to 900mg. I'm on 600, yes i did notice a improvement or lift in mood after about 3 weeks. I notice when im sitting down and take afternoon lithium, or at night, there is a calming feeling. When i was in the hospital there was a friend i met, they were on 1800mg. They were bipolar I and had a manic episode that put them in the hospital, told me they had to take ativan, lithium, to stablize. You said lithium is nueroprotective, i've been having sleep deprivation, and i take lithium and notice relief during the day, from depression fatigue. I've had sleepless nights, that happen randonly. But lithium protection from covid, maybe that will be my vaccine against covid lol. It makes me less skittish, and doing dumb things in the moment, brings back down to earth. It was used for depression, but i notice yes lithium makes me not do dumb manic things, in the moment.
Posted by rjlockhart37 on July 22, 2022, at 23:36:40
In reply to Re: lithium » rjlockhart37, posted by SLS on July 16, 2022, at 19:25:55
scott, thanks for writing this, when i was in the psych, they put me on 900mg. I didnt want to stay on lithium because i thought it was heavy drug. I had a depression period, my doctor reduced prozac and started lithium, at 600mg. I'm on that currently. I take 300 in morning and 300 at night. It makes me less skittish and prevent me from doing dumb manic things. Has small calming feeling, has a small lift in mood, but not like other depression meds. I was sitting in frount of the tv and took 300 and noticed a small lift, or content mood, stalization. I'm new to lithium, so i'll defeintly keep posted. Thanks for your response
Posted by rjlockhart37 on July 23, 2022, at 21:19:10
In reply to Re: lithium, posted by rjlockhart37 on July 22, 2022, at 23:29:43
i was manic as hell last night, those 2 posts made no sense, yes lithium helps with depression keeps things stable, wrote that before i took my lithium.
This is the end of the thread.
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