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New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2005 >> Help wanted with Lithium please
(Message started by: LeLimey on Oct 22nd, 2005, 1:14pm)

Title: Help wanted with Lithium please
Post by LeLimey on Oct 22nd, 2005, 1:14pm
Hi everyone,
My neuro has me starting on lithium and I wondered if there is an optimum time of day to take it, I've been trying to search but it keeps wimping out on me.
I'm taking 250mg a day for two months to try it. He says this is a low dose (I have no idea) because of my psychotic experiences with both pred and topiramate.
Am I better off taking it in the morning or the evening? There isn't any info on the destructions leaflet other than to take with food.
Thanks
Helen

Title: Re: Help wanted with Lithium please
Post by E-Double on Oct 22nd, 2005, 2:00pm
Hi Helen,

Doctor Sheftell has me taking 150 @ noon and 150 before bed. This is also a low dose.

The only thing I can say is that I think the Lithium was the variable in finally getting my clusters stabilized.
They used to be all over the place and now they are like clockwork for the first time in over a year.

I am also fairly comfortable. I rarely shadow and only go right to the big boy which is different then it used to be.
I used to shadow all day long even in between the big hits.

I think overall things are better than they were.

You could try the "pulsing method which is to take it prior to your hits if they run like clockwork.

Hang in there toots!

E

Title: Re: Help wanted with Lithium please
Post by Mr. Happy on Oct 22nd, 2005, 2:16pm
Here was a discussion of "Lithium pulsing" (http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=meds;action=display;num=1105293621) from last January..

Title: Re: Help wanted with Lithium please
Post by rextangle on Oct 22nd, 2005, 2:19pm
Helen, maybe talk to Jonny about this. I believe he was on it for quiet a while and had good results with it.
Good luck to you,
Rex ;)

Title: Re: Help wanted with Lithium please
Post by LeLimey on Oct 22nd, 2005, 2:38pm
Thanks boys, thats been great, I will ask Jonny about it too


Title: Re: Help wanted with Lithium please
Post by Lizzie2 on Oct 22nd, 2005, 4:42pm
It depends, too, on what type of lithium you are taking.  I believe I took  mine 3 times a day but it was not extended release.  When I switched to extended release (Eskalith for my brand) form, I took it twice a day.

Of course, switching to Eskalith was also my demise on lithium and that was the end of my trial with it.  I got very nauseous on the Eskalith and was throwing up every day.  My blood levels were below therapeutic range but because of those side effects, I was taken off it.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.  I shoulda stayed on the regular release lithium and may have done better.  One of the docs I was working with wanted to try me on extended release for blood levels and that's when I lost my ability to take it.  Ah well.

Good luck!!
Carrie:)

Title: Re: Help wanted with Lithium please
Post by bnfreeman on Oct 22nd, 2005, 7:55pm
Hi Helen,

I started taking Lithium in July. I take 300mg in the morning and another before bed. I have found no difference in the time of day that I take it. Things have been much better since I started taking it. I have more pain free days than ever before. I hope it works out for you. Try it out in the morning or at night and see if it makes a difference for you.

Brandi

Title: Re: Help wanted with Lithium please
Post by unsolved1 on Oct 22nd, 2005, 8:21pm
Third time taking Lithium. :-/ This time I take 300mg twice daily and 450mg @ bedtime. It's not helping!

UNsolved

Title: Re: Help wanted with Lithium please
Post by LeLimey on Oct 22nd, 2005, 8:27pm
Bloody hell those are much bigger doses than I'm on, mind you its horses for courses with this condition and I've got to start somewhere
Thanks for your input, it all helps
Helen

Title: Re: Help wanted with Lithium please
Post by brewcrew on Oct 22nd, 2005, 11:27pm
I take 600 mg in the morning and 300 mg at night. Still well below the "hand shake" levels required for treating bi-polar disorder.

What the hell is "horses for courses?"

Title: Re: Help wanted with Lithium please
Post by Jonny on Oct 23rd, 2005, 12:34am
Helen, check your PM's

Have you tried this yet? ;;D .....Some say it works wonders....LOL

http://www.consumptionjunction.com/downloadsnew/cj_50003.wmv

Title: Re: Help wanted with Lithium please
Post by burnt-toast on Oct 23rd, 2005, 1:16am
I'm @ 1200mg Lithium daily.  I was instructed to break it into four 300mg doses throughout the day but after some adjustments found that 300mg 7AM, 300mg 2PM, and 600mg around 9-10PM provided the best results.  

Combining two doses into one large dose at night helped me a great deal.  Gets a lot of juice into my bloodstream when I need it most.

Gool luck

Tom    

Title: Re: Help wanted with Lithium please
Post by LeLimey on Oct 23rd, 2005, 5:08am

on 10/22/05 at 23:27:23, brewcrew wrote:
What the hell is "horses for courses?"


It just means different things suit different people  :)

JOhnny I was expecting that link to be more in the way of "good vibrations"   ::) So I can expect that much of an improvement? wow!

Thanks everyone I shall see how I get on with my paltry 250mg and let you know, I'm on day 2 - how long does it ake before you can start noticing a difference?

Title: Re: Help wanted with Lithium please
Post by brewcrew on Oct 24th, 2005, 10:32am

on 10/23/05 at 05:08:34, LeLimey wrote:
It just means different things suit different people  :)


Ah ha - Different strokes for different folks. Gotcha.  ;;D

Title: Re: Help wanted with Lithium please
Post by Karla on Oct 24th, 2005, 2:20pm
I took lithium 900mg at 300mg 3x a day.  Morning, noon, and night.  Worked great for 2 years then quit working.  I think it was a wonderful medicine.

Title: Re: Help wanted with Lithium please
Post by gfdfirefighter on Oct 28th, 2005, 4:48pm
Hi All

Man I just pulled my old perscription bottle of lithonate/eskalith 300mg x4 daily no wonder i felt like a zombie :P Jan201999 think it's still good? ;;D

Smiley

Title: Re: Help wanted with Lithium please
Post by brewcrew on Oct 30th, 2005, 7:34am

on 10/28/05 at 16:48:56, gfdfirefighter wrote:
Hi All

Man I just pulled my old perscription bottle of lithonate/eskalith 300mg x4 daily no wonder i felt like a zombie :P Jan201999 think it's still good? ;;D

Smiley

That level of therapy is still well below that used in bipolar disorder. Listless? Maybe. Zombie? I don't know about zombie. Of course, different people react differently to chemicals, so....who knows?

I doubt it's still good. Most pharmacists will tell you that drugs should be discarded after one year - they simply lose their effectiveness. You can always ask your doc to write another Rx - the stuff is cheap.

Good luck!  ;;D



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