WHAT ARE THE SIDE AFFECTS OF THE ANTIPSYCHOTIC PRESCRIPTION DRUG LITHIUM?!


Question: WHAT ARE THE SIDE AFFECTS OF THE ANTIPSYCHOTIC PRESCRIPTION DRUG LITHIUM!?
It's for people diagnosed with bipolar!.

I've tried Lamictel, Respidol, Abilify!. It just made me more mentally restless or unfocused!.

Depakote and Seroquel work, yet it doesn't completely keep me calm, collected, and focused all the time!.

Should I add on the Lithium!? What will happen!? Any idea of what to do!?!?!?Www@Answer-Health@Com


Answers:
lithium is a naturally occurring salt, and is considered a mood stabilizer, not an antipsychotic (risperdal and abilify are antipsychotics, lamictal is an anticonvulsant, or epilepsy drug, that is also a bipolar mood stabilizer)!.

I was thirsty all the time on lithium, and did get the fine hand tremor, which that wasn't an issue!. Being thirsty all the time, I drank a lot of water, and had to get up twice in the night to go to the bathroom!. That WAS an issue, since I live in a 2 story farm house, and had to go down stairs!. Ny understanding is that lithium works better on people who have had fewer bipolar episodes, and this does bear out in my case - in my 20's, it did help some, but now that I am 44, it just doesn't help at all!. If the lithium stabilized my moods quite a bit, I would have figured out a way to deal with the side effects!.

the mental restlessness from risperdal or abilify could have been akasthisia, which antipsychotics can cause!. I never heard of anyone complaining about that with lamictal before!.

The answer depends on which symptoms are left from your bipolar - are you mostly sad!? Lack of energy!? Irritable!?

A really good place to read up on options is at bipolarworld!.net, click on ask the doctor, and read all the stuff Dr!. Phelps has written up!. He will address which symptoms the different meds seem to work on, best!.

I will be honest with you - very few people with bipolar ever get total symptom remission!. Even between relapses, like 80% of us have residual symptoms!. Unemployment is over 60%!. It is a very serious mental illness to get!. Many people get sicker as they get older!. Keep working at it though - there are many, many meds to try!. Also get psychotherapy - learn to recognize triggers, keep a regular schedule, get regular exercise, learn to reduce stress - these things all help a lot!. There are books written up on these topics now, on how to keep yourself more stable when you have bipolar, beyond the needed meds!. Meds alone are not enough!.

Good luck!Www@Answer-Health@Com

I've had bipolar for many yearsWww@Answer-Health@Com

I don't know all the details but when I was younger I was an "active" child lol and my mom tried to prescribe me many different meds and I remember the time I tried lithium!. I was rollerblading with her and I started to get a seizure and shake kinda, then proceeded home where I couldnt eat the soup from shaking!. I am a guy!. So then I needed to pee and since we pee standing up I decorated the toilet and the bathroom with urine!. lolol but that is just my experience and maybe a mixture of other drugs!.Www@Answer-Health@Com

thanks mom! now go clean it upWww@Answer-Health@Com





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