Hi,
I had very mixed results. Actually, lithium major stunk and I was depressed for 4 years while on it and an anti-depressant.
In comparison to those 4 years, my life has been good since I stopped taking it and found other things.
M.

Lithium has been found not to be very sucessful in treating mixed states, so i'm not surprised by your experience.

A few ppl with mixed states respond to it but most do not. For those who respond, it apparently is superior to divalproex, but statistically it is more useful to treat pure mania.

~ waves ~

Thanks, I had read these before I ordered it. My Psyc doc said that because it is bound to orotate and more easily absorbed you can take less and not have the kidney damage. It is not controled by the fda...he told me to look for some between 4-6 units, after reading reviews I chose one by advanced research with Dr Napiers name on it.It has 4.9, so if it does vary a bit I am still in the ok range. I do believe it is making me sleepy though. I have ok Insurance, my drug of choice from internet searching is lanotrigine. @nd choices zydis or oxcabazepine....I will not take one that has weight gain as a side effect. I had gastric bypass surgery 3 years ago and I will not go there again.
Thank everyone for the input, My dr did say we may have to add an antidepressant when I see him on the 30th. My biggest concern right now.....being sleepy, I want to try to go back to work next Monday.

Hi,
The lithium likely will only make you sleepy the first few times you take it -- that's what I read recently. If that is the case, the sleepiness should be gone soon.

I wish you luck in returning to work.
M.

You know, when he told me about the lithium orotate, I thought, "He dosn't believe me" I came home and researched it half expecting it to be some sort of scam/placebo thing like male enhancement! I have been told my whole life just to get a grip on my attitude, that I was just moody and needed to controle it....I am not thrilled by the diagnosis, but am grateful to finnally know what is going on and to be addressing it. The first psuc doc I saw said ADD and put me on focalin, a stimulant....2 weeks of mania later I got a 2nd opinion.....so being sleepy could be from stopping the focalin and then I added the lithium...who knows, I am glad I found this site! I laughed today...it was nice.

Hi,
I'm so happy that you have a pdoc who is helping you.

Some folks with bipolar do in fact ALSO have ADD / ADHD. But the pdoc is supposed to treat the bipolar first before adding something for the ADHD.

Laughing is good.

M.

thank you... I woke up this am feeling pretty good. The first pdoc I saw who insisted I was ADD would not address the depression, and the focalin he had me on , he just kept increasing, my last script the pharmacy could not fill because it was above the recommended daily dose. If I can google and find outbipolar has many of the same symtoms he should have known it .....I kept telling him I was overwhelmed with emptness and he would say...you are clearly ADD...Anyway, the mania caused by the focalin was intense, talking, mind racing, clenching my teeth so tight I was gatting headaches, at the same time I was so sad and empty I did not want to move...very unpleasant.... at least the new doc is listening to me, he gave me options of treatment and asked where I was comfortable starting. thank you for the support here.

thank you for checking in.
It sounds lkike you have a good pdoc now...very happy to read this.Drug induced hypomania is not fun and can turn into full blown mania if not caught in a timely manner.
antidepressants can do this too.
The only antidepressant I can take is welbutrin at half a dose and I did not see it as helping. the lamictal acts as an antidepressant for me now.
geodon keeps the mania at bay.
beth