Lithium

MSN08 · 11-20-2009, 11:49 AM

Anyone taking it? What side effects have you noticed? Any weight gain or loss? or difficulty losing weight with dieting? Has it helped you? I was just diagnosed with a form of Bi polar and I am going to be taking Lithium along with my Zoloft and I have been losing weight and I do not want to gain. TIA

Houston Heather · 11-20-2009, 04:50 PM

Another poster called me the Lithium Queen.

I LOVE THE STUFF!

I have a really bad form of the disorder:
Seeing things
Hearing things
FEELING things - Invisible bugs on my skin
Cycling rapidly
Wrong/Bad thoughts in my head (delusions)
Paranoia
Mixed episodes (up and down at the same time)

Not only does lithium help, it helps fast. I feel better within an hour or two of taking it, but it may take you a month or two to get up to speed.

I have lost OVER Sixty pounds since I began my lithium routine three years ago. Lithium + low carb works. I take it with Risperdal at present. I took them with Lexapro for over 2 years.

To repeat: There is no reason you can't lose weight taking lithium. Even when I was eating a quart of ice cream every night, in front of the TV and eating crap all day at work I didn't gain very fast.

Because I have Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, I can get by with taking 600-900 mg of Lithium a day. I have taken up to 1200 a day if needed for symptoms. I worked out a plan with my doc. Lithium is wonderfully cheap, as you will discover. I get a 3 month supply for $10 at Walmart.

My most common side effects are:
Dry mouth
Thirst
Wierd smelling urine

I do get a little brain fog now and then. I sleep a lot better than I used to.
Sometimes I get sick to my stomach, Pepto is good, or taking a ginger root capsule.

Some things to watch:
Lithium makes you lose salt, so you will need to continue eating plenty of salt.

Lithium + over the counter pain meds can cause the lithium side effects to become very strong.

Lithium also boosts the immune system, and is even prescribed for just that reason now.

You're in for a treat, is all I can say...I mean that with all my heart. I love my lithium. It's given me a life back.

OH, AND ALWAYS TAKE IT WITH FOOD - NOT JUST A SALAD - at the very least some protein and fat - like a sausage patty. Taking lithium with a small meal will upset your stomach!

nonstickpam107 · 11-20-2009, 10:06 PM

Lithium patients run about 95% hypothyroid from the drug itself, and your Pdoc (or whoever is Rx'ing it) should run frequent Free T4, Free T3 testing (not just TSH) to see just where your thyroid hormone capabilities are. No two people are alike, even if one takes less lithium and doesn't have hypothyroidism, you may have to have thyroid hormone administered. Zoloft ALSO binds thyroid hormone.

Other than that, if one needs lithium, than one should have lithium. Heather knows how she responds to the drug and is well versed in side effects...she writes a good post...but I hear from at least 10 patients a MONTH who've gone totally hypothyroid on this drug and most have docs that do NOT know what a 'normal' thyroid test is and only do a TSH. If you feel you have symptoms of hypothyroidism after using this drug for awhile, please feel free to pm me. Having hypothyroidism FROM Lithium is NOT an excuse to STOP using your Lithium..it's just a sign of needing thyroid hormone as well as the Lithium. I hope Lithium helps you and that it give YOU your life back too.

Pam

Houston Heather · 11-20-2009, 10:09 PM

You know Pam, before medication, I was always cold all the time - even in 85 degree weather.

Lithium can either boost or slow the thyroid from what I've read. For me, it got my internal thermostat to "normal". At least by Houston standards - anything under 65 being "cold".

I think it gave my thyroid a little kick in the pants. Whatever tests my doctor runs every year come back "normal".

nonstickpam107 · 11-21-2009, 07:40 AM

And where you are, most doctors consider it 'normal' to only do the test on the pituitary...a TSH....the rest of us who've had our relatives die (my Mom, for instance, at 48 yrs. old) shudder in horror at the TSH test...it tests..um..nuttin'.

ALL of the scientific studies (these are studies that have participants under 40 and over...more than 25,000 of them) show that lithium binds thyroid hormones and that some of the lingering symptoms that patients have are from hypothyroidism, not the lithium itself.

It really PAYS to have your FREE T4, FREE T3 tests done every six months while on Lithium. This is what I know about hypothyroidism after 22 years. And what I know about Lithium. Lithium doesn't cure...and neither does taking only a TSH. EVERY doctor giving Lithium should be doing a Free T4 and Free T3, making sure FT4 is midway of range and FT3 is much higher, from 2/3 of range to 3/4 of range.

If you feel better on the Lithium (and you should) than you wouldn't BELIEVE how much better patients feel on Lithium AND on hormone replacement for the sluggish thyroid it develops.

Just feeling cold doesn't denote hypothyroidism...but it can...and when women go into different hormone roles (birth, menopause, etc.) the thyroid reacts differently. I can't find even ONE STUDY suggesting that Lithium 'helps' the thyroid. Not one. Most of them show through labs and symptoms that Lithium completely binds the conversion of T4 to T3. And if you have no conversion, you have a problem. It's called hypothyroidism.

To all the patients using Lithium....make SURE your doctor is doing a FT4 and FT3 and that he/she isn't calling 'anything in range' normal...don't settle for a TSH and a total T4. (BTW..my Mother was in and out of mental hospitals during my formative years. Lithium wasn't available then I don't believe, but she was labeled schizo and other things. After she died at 48 years old they did an autopsy. Guess what? She didn't have any mental disease....she had Hashimoto's Encephalopathy. Many with thyroid disease have it manifested AS a mental disorder). Not many...but I'm an advocate to remind people of what tests you should have, what is normal, and who is at risk.

Heather, you are a wonderful patient advocate for bipolar disorder, don't stop helping others and telling your story. You're very brave.

Pam

Houston Heather · 11-21-2009, 07:58 AM

Oh, thanks, Pam.

I was desperate for information myself when I was diagnosed, and I was able to get a lot about the disease. Low carb and lithium? Zippo.

Thanks for the tip on the thyroid hormone - I wondered what kind of tests were "good".

I thank God every day that I can take something and have all the bad thoughts and DRAMA go away. I never take that for granted.

Oddly, Pam, I owe this to my mother - when she was sober lithium worked great, so I went right to lithium and never regretted it.

11-20-2009, 11:49 AM	#1
MSN08 Senior LCF Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 940 Gallery: MSN08 WOE: VLC Start Date: January 2009	Lithium Anyone taking it? What side effects have you noticed? Any weight gain or loss? or difficulty losing weight with dieting? Has it helped you? I was just diagnosed with a form of Bi polar and I am going to be taking Lithium along with my Zoloft and I have been losing weight and I do not want to gain. TIA

11-20-2009, 04:50 PM	#2
Houston Heather Big Yapper!!!! Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Houston Posts: 9,788 Gallery: Houston Heather Stats: 228/166/160 Waist: 42/31/31 WOE: Atkins 2002 Ongoing Weight Loss/pre maintenance Start Date: Feb 26, 2008 (second and last time)	Another poster called me the Lithium Queen. I LOVE THE STUFF! I have a really bad form of the disorder: Seeing things Hearing things FEELING things - Invisible bugs on my skin Cycling rapidly Wrong/Bad thoughts in my head (delusions) Paranoia Mixed episodes (up and down at the same time) Not only does lithium help, it helps fast. I feel better within an hour or two of taking it, but it may take you a month or two to get up to speed. *I have lost OVER Sixty pounds since I began my lithium routine three years ago. Lithium + low carb works.* I take it with Risperdal at present. I took them with Lexapro for over 2 years. To repeat: There is no reason you can't lose weight taking lithium. Even when I was eating a quart of ice cream every night, in front of the TV and eating crap all day at work I didn't gain very fast. Because I have Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, I can get by with taking 600-900 mg of Lithium a day. I have taken up to 1200 a day if needed for symptoms. I worked out a plan with my doc. Lithium is wonderfully cheap, as you will discover. I get a 3 month supply for $10 at Walmart. My most common side effects are: Dry mouth Thirst Wierd smelling urine I do get a little brain fog now and then. I sleep a lot better than I used to. Sometimes I get sick to my stomach, Pepto is good, or taking a ginger root capsule. Some things to watch: Lithium makes you lose salt, so you will need to continue eating plenty of salt. Lithium + over the counter pain meds can cause the lithium side effects to become very strong. Lithium also boosts the immune system, and is even prescribed for just that reason now. You're in for a treat, is all I can say...I mean that with all my heart. I love my lithium. It's given me a life back. OH, AND ALWAYS TAKE IT WITH FOOD - NOT JUST A SALAD - at the very least some protein and fat - like a sausage patty. Taking lithium with a small meal will upset your stomach! __________________ I'll be praying for you! (James 5:16) "From the beginning, you have made a refreshing jug of lemonade from all the lemons that life pitched your way." Zer Remember, that fresh meat, fish, fowl, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and the occasional fruits and starches are the foods nature designed you to eat. - Dr Atkins, 1972 I have tested thee in the furnace of affliction - Isaiah 48:10

11-20-2009, 10:06 PM	#3
nonstickpam107 Thyroid Patient Advocate Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: NE Indiana Posts: 14,746 Gallery: nonstickpam107 Stats: Just right for now, need to hit the gym more WOE: Started w/Atkins/Now BFFM Start Date: Nov. 23 2000	Lithium patients run about 95% hypothyroid from the drug itself, and your Pdoc (or whoever is Rx'ing it) should run frequent Free T4, Free T3 testing (not just TSH) to see just where your thyroid hormone capabilities are. No two people are alike, even if one takes less lithium and doesn't have hypothyroidism, you may have to have thyroid hormone administered. Zoloft ALSO binds thyroid hormone. Other than that, if one needs lithium, than one should have lithium. Heather knows how she responds to the drug and is well versed in side effects...she writes a good post...but I hear from at least 10 patients a MONTH who've gone totally hypothyroid on this drug and most have docs that do NOT know what a 'normal' thyroid test is and only do a TSH. If you feel you have symptoms of hypothyroidism after using this drug for awhile, please feel free to pm me. Having hypothyroidism FROM Lithium is NOT an excuse to STOP using your Lithium..it's just a sign of needing thyroid hormone as well as the Lithium. I hope Lithium helps you and that it give YOU your life back too. Pam __________________ So many fireworks. So little time. "You can't get a patent on a pig part"

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11-20-2009, 10:09 PM	#4
Houston Heather Big Yapper!!!! Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Houston Posts: 9,788 Gallery: Houston Heather Stats: 228/166/160 Waist: 42/31/31 WOE: Atkins 2002 Ongoing Weight Loss/pre maintenance Start Date: Feb 26, 2008 (second and last time)	You know Pam, before medication, I was always cold all the time - even in 85 degree weather. Lithium can either boost or slow the thyroid from what I've read. For me, it got my internal thermostat to "normal". At least by Houston standards - anything under 65 being "cold". I think it gave my thyroid a little kick in the pants. Whatever tests my doctor runs every year come back "normal".

11-21-2009, 07:40 AM	#5
nonstickpam107 Thyroid Patient Advocate Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: NE Indiana Posts: 14,746 Gallery: nonstickpam107 Stats: Just right for now, need to hit the gym more WOE: Started w/Atkins/Now BFFM Start Date: Nov. 23 2000	And where you are, most doctors consider it 'normal' to only do the test on the pituitary...a TSH....the rest of us who've had our relatives die (my Mom, for instance, at 48 yrs. old) shudder in horror at the TSH test...it tests..um..nuttin'. ALL of the scientific studies (these are studies that have participants under 40 and over...more than 25,000 of them) show that lithium binds thyroid hormones and that some of the lingering symptoms that patients have are from hypothyroidism, not the lithium itself. It really PAYS to have your FREE T4, FREE T3 tests done every six months while on Lithium. This is what I know about hypothyroidism after 22 years. And what I know about Lithium. Lithium doesn't cure...and neither does taking only a TSH. EVERY doctor giving Lithium should be doing a Free T4 and Free T3, making sure FT4 is midway of range and FT3 is much higher, from 2/3 of range to 3/4 of range. If you feel better on the Lithium (and you should) than you wouldn't BELIEVE how much better patients feel on Lithium AND on hormone replacement for the sluggish thyroid it develops. Just feeling cold doesn't denote hypothyroidism...but it can...and when women go into different hormone roles (birth, menopause, etc.) the thyroid reacts differently. I can't find even ONE STUDY suggesting that Lithium 'helps' the thyroid. Not one. Most of them show through labs and symptoms that Lithium completely binds the conversion of T4 to T3. And if you have no conversion, you have a problem. It's called hypothyroidism. To all the patients using Lithium....make SURE your doctor is doing a FT4 and FT3 and that he/she isn't calling 'anything in range' normal...don't settle for a TSH and a total T4. (BTW..my Mother was in and out of mental hospitals during my formative years. Lithium wasn't available then I don't believe, but she was labeled schizo and other things. After she died at 48 years old they did an autopsy. Guess what? She didn't have any mental disease....she had Hashimoto's Encephalopathy. Many with thyroid disease have it manifested AS a mental disorder). Not many...but I'm an advocate to remind people of what tests you should have, what is normal, and who is at risk. Heather, you are a wonderful patient advocate for bipolar disorder, don't stop helping others and telling your story. You're very brave. Pam

11-21-2009, 07:58 AM	#6
Houston Heather Big Yapper!!!! Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Houston Posts: 9,788 Gallery: Houston Heather Stats: 228/166/160 Waist: 42/31/31 WOE: Atkins 2002 Ongoing Weight Loss/pre maintenance Start Date: Feb 26, 2008 (second and last time)	Oh, thanks, Pam. I was desperate for information myself when I was diagnosed, and I was able to get a lot about the disease. Low carb and lithium? Zippo. Thanks for the tip on the thyroid hormone - I wondered what kind of tests were "good". I thank God every day that I can take something and have all the bad thoughts and DRAMA go away. I never take that for granted. Oddly, Pam, I owe this to my mother - when she was sober lithium worked great, so I went right to lithium and never regretted it.