It's good that you now have a dx, but you've got some hard times ahead. My tdoc said it takes an average of 10 years to find just the right meds (it took me nine.) Fortunately, these days there are a lot of meds to choose from, where there were only a few until the nineties, and none at all before Li came into use in 1976 (not counting Thorazine, which you want to avoid anyway.)
Li has a lot of nasty side effects. First off, it's guaranteed to make you gain weight, perhaps a lot. It makes you unable to handle a lot of time in the heat, because it is a salt. You will have to drink a lot. When I was on it, I had constant diarreah, and left me with irritable bowel that is only now getting better (I stopped taking it in 2000). If you get too much in your blood stream, it becomes a dangerous poison.
Why DO doctors always start people on Li?!
Personally, my mood stabilizer is Neurontin (gabapentin). It works better than any other I have tried (I've tried all of 'em except Topamax), and no weight gain! You may want to give that or another one a try if Li doesn't work out. Topamax is so wonderful it seems to make people lose weight! (I don't take that one because it also interferes with birth control.)
Bipolar is not a death sentence but it definately can be a lot to cope with. Lithium is a good bipolar med, if you are one who can take it. It can make you gain weight. Some people it doesn't. I am on 600mgs of Lithium right now. I have had no side effects from it. I have been on it about 6 months or so now. I do not have to drink a lot at this dose, though some people will get thirsty taking Lithium.
It can take time finding the right med or combo of meds.
{{{{{{{{{{{mama}}}}}}}}}
It's good that you now have a dx, but you've got some hard times ahead. My tdoc said it takes an average of 10 years to find just the right meds (it took me nine.) Fortunately, these days there are a lot of meds to choose from, where there were only a few until the nineties, and none at all before Li came into use in 1976 (not counting Thorazine, which you want to avoid anyway.)
Li has a lot of nasty side effects. First off, it's guaranteed to make you gain weight, perhaps a lot. It makes you unable to handle a lot of time in the heat, because it is a salt. You will have to drink a lot. When I was on it, I had constant diarreah, and left me with irritable bowel that is only now getting better (I stopped taking it in 2000). If you get too much in your blood stream, it becomes a dangerous poison.
Why DO doctors always start people on Li?!
Personally, my mood stabilizer is Neurontin (gabapentin). It works better than any other I have tried (I've tried all of 'em except Topamax), and no weight gain! You may want to give that or another one a try if Li doesn't work out. Topamax is so wonderful it seems to make people lose weight! (I don't take that one because it also interferes with birth control.)
Express!
Beth "Petrouchka"
Hi Karla,
Bipolar is not a death sentence but it definately can be a lot to cope with. Lithium is a good bipolar med, if you are one who can take it. It can make you gain weight. Some people it doesn't. I am on 600mgs of Lithium right now. I have had no side effects from it. I have been on it about 6 months or so now. I do not have to drink a lot at this dose, though some people will get thirsty taking Lithium.
It can take time finding the right med or combo of meds.
~ Tina ~
Karla,
I know I was both relieved and dismayed when I was FINALLY dx'd after years of suspecting BP, you're probably feeling much the same.