stopping depakote, next option lithium?

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-16-2003
stopping depakote, next option lithium?
6
Sat, 01-01-2005 - 1:05am

My pdoc wants my next med choice to be lithium since depakote is causing me to lose my hair and is actually making me more manic and disconnected. I do not want lithium, but he seems to think it is the best option. When i first went to him, he said he wouldn't put me on lithium because my moods weren't that extreme. i feel like he doesn't really know me. Everytime i go he just makes up stuff about me. He actually told me at one of our meetings that i was not capable of making a decision concerning my life or medication and that i needed to be on tranquilizers for 2 weeks before i chose to continue with depakote or add something else all because i chose to throw away the seroquel because of the side effects seemed like something i didn't want to mess with.

Really, I was never that bad without medication. I only went to the pdoc because i wanted to see if i was add/adhd because i have trouble concentrating in school. He keeps threatening to not help me with the ADHD now unless i take the medications for bipolar, and now he is convinced i am obsessive compulsive.

I guess my question is, how bad is lithium? What is the good and bad? My grandma and dad both had horrible reactions to it. I told my pdoc this but apparently it doesn't matter.

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-24-2003
Sat, 01-01-2005 - 1:14am

Crys:

I'm sorry you have some a bad rapport with your pdoc - a good relationship IS vital to your care.

As for lithium - it is my miracle. Yes, there are side effects. For the first 10-14 days I took it I was very tired and lethargic, thirsty, had frequent urination. You also need to be cautious about your alcohol and caffeine intake as both will dehydrate you and affect the level of lithium in your body. After 2 weeks, my side effects went away. My family insists that they see a difference in me within DAYS of taking lithium - all for the good.

Yes, there are potentially long term effects which do require occasional blood tests to be done. I don't find the risks for liver or kidney damage to be serious enough to give up and go back to the life I had before my lithium.

I don't know a lot of your history, but I was "fine" for a long time without meds. However, when I started to not be fine, I got REALLY not fine fast - and quickly became really desperately seriously in trouble. Looking back now, I regret nothing more in life then not staying on meds when I was put on them 15 years ago - I would have had a much different life.

Please continue to post and good luck!!
Tracey

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-20-2004
Sat, 01-01-2005 - 10:20am

Hi Crys,

I don't have much to add. I can only share my experience. Lithium saved my life at one point. It's what they put me on when I was first dxed.

The side effects went away for me also w/in 2-3weeks. I also had the shakes as a side effect but that went away first.

I had my blood tested once a month while I was on it.

I had to come off of lithium because my thyroid went nuts. This is also a common danger on lithium.

I was also told that you should not excessively sweat while you're on lithium. This too will mess with your levels.

All in all I'm glad I took it. At the time I first started taking it though there wasn't nearly as many meds to use as there are now. You can always change after you give it a chance. You really need to give it at least 2 months so you know what it feels like to have a theropudic (sp?) dose in you system.

Now as to your pdoc... Tell him your mentally ill not mentally slow. You are capable of discussing your treatment and aiding in the treatment you recieve. I'm not saying that you should treat or dx yourself but, you should be heard at least. Your concerns and questions matter. You may want to consider looking for another pdoc. Someone that you can share in your treatment with. It makes a world of difference to have a pdoc who will work for you and with you rather than one who treats you like you work for him.

Just my opinon and experience. I hope this helps. (I guess I had allot to add. LOL)

Love,

Jamie

Love,

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-01-2004
Sat, 01-01-2005 - 4:20pm

Crys,


When I was put on Lithium early on, I thought there was no hope for me--they're bringing out the big guns so soon, but it was the best thing that happened to me.


The only real problems I've had with it are all interconnected--it makes me SO thirsty, I drink water constantly resulting in my having to know the location of every bathroom in my vicinity, but I already had an "overactive bladder", so my problems are somewhat exaggerated.

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-16-2003
Sun, 01-02-2005 - 4:07am
My thinking is not impaired. I just don't like putting a lot of medications in my body for no reason. I want to know the risks first. the seroquel was not something i wanted after knowing the risks. He now refuses to tell me anything negative about medications or even the name until he does a sales pitch for 20 minutes. Apparently i have bipolar, adhd, extremely high anxiety, ocd, and i am sure he will add to the list next session. My moods do shift, and I do get manic, but I am not out of control. In the beginning he was telling me how great I am because I can control my life. How i would take my self out of bad situations when I knew I was becoming manic. But as soon as I started questioning him, he turned on me and is now treating me like I am totally nuts. All I wanted was some help focusing on my school work. This is all ruining my senior year of college. It is making it harder for school because adjusting to the medication makes me depressed or manic. My mind races faster now so my grades have dropped. This is the opposite of what was supposed to happen.
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-24-2003
Sun, 01-02-2005 - 11:20am

Crys

In my ever humble opinion, which I am ALWAYS more then happy to give, you need to find a new pdoc. One thing I have noticed is that there are a LOT of pdocs out there that want to treat every little aspect of our lives with meds. That's one thing I love about my pdoc - he treats the base illness with meds (as few as we can and still control the bp instead of it controlling me). Plus, it seems like sometimes pdocs like to overdx people - every time you have an emotion they put a disorder label on it.

The fact that he won't even tell you the name of the med he wants you to take would concern me. I am frequently use http://www.mayoclinic.com/findinformation/druginformation/index.cfm so I can find out info on meds that I need - even if it is something short term (for example when my grandmother died he gave me ativan to help me through the wake and funeral).

I adamantly say that if you aren't comfortable working with your pdoc, it is going to be very difficult for them to treat you because you won't be able to easily be open and honest with them - you need a level of trust, even if they are only doing med therapy.

Sorry this got so long, and I am REALLY sorry if this offends anyone, but it is how I feel.

Take care Crys, and please do not give up - as you get older your manic issues WILL get more severe and it will be more difficult for you to remove yourself from those "bad situations".

Tracey

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-20-2004
Sun, 01-02-2005 - 12:12pm

Crys,

I just want to echo what Tracey said. She is right. If I felt like my pdoc was just drugging me and not listening to me, I would run. (In my humble opinion :o)). I'm sorry this is ruining your senior year. This disease knows no boundries. Take care of you and let us know what you decide.

Love to You,

Jamie

Love,