Lithium Experiences

[DaveFoster]

I'm going to talk to my psychiatrist about trying lithium. I already consume about 4 TSP of salt/day, and it helps me with mood, but I'm dealing with some erratic moods (maybe from social isolation).

I know a few people have some positive experiences with it, so please add input if you've tried it. I'll update this thread with my own experience.

 

[Regina]

I'm going to talk to my psychiatrist about trying lithium. I already consume about 4 TSP of salt/day, and it helps me with mood, but I'm dealing with some erratic moods (maybe from social isolation).

I know a few people have some positive experiences with it, so please add input if you've tried it. I'll update this thread with my own experience.

With ya.
I'm trying teeny bits of lithium orotate. I'm slicing a wee bit off a 120mg pill. So probably 10mg daily for 2 days?? (nothing yet to report).
And testing the waters with inosine (?? I'm a terrible gauge. I rarely notice ANYTHING from ANY amount/shift in supplements).

 

[tankasnowgod]

With ya.
I'm trying teeny bits of lithium orotate. I'm slicing a wee bit off a 120mg pill. So probably 10mg daily for 2 days?? (nothing yet to report).
And testing the waters with inosine (?? I'm a terrible gauge. I rarely notice ANYTHING from ANY amount/shift in supplements).

If anything, you're getting micrograms of lithium. The pills are 120mg of Lithium Orotate, but only have 5mg of actual Lithium per pill.

 

[Pointless]

I actually just started 5 mg lithium orotate 2x/day. I've tried it in the past but didn't notice much. Now I'm noticing big things. Funny how you don't see what you don't know what to look for.

First effect I noticed is an impulse to breathe deeply and slowly. I feel kind of air hungry too. This is like thiamine and acetazolamide which I've both tried. Also, I found a study how lithium blocked carbonic anhydrase in vivo but not in vitro so there is a complex mechanism.

I also noticed a tiny bit of diarrhea which is something I used to get when upping thyroid. I think I'll adapt to this.

I felt very happy all day today. People commented on how happy I was. Strong, noticeable decrease in shyness, social anxiety, and stuttering. I feel very energetic.

Except for an hour or so when I dosed this morning. I felt sluggish but really good. It's the lethargic feeling I get from bcaa or 2g+ of niacinamide. This could be from lowering catecholamines or maybe adrenal hormones I don't know.

There are some other hypothyroid issues I have. I really hope it deals with these because thyroid is all but worthless for me. Rapid hair loss, reddish patches on my face, sexual dysfunction, incomplete digestion. It's too early to judge effects on these but I can update you.

Also I should say that I had depression since about 11 years old that got a lot better the past few years and a few hypomanic episodes in college.

 

[Regina]

Thx tankasnowgod. It's this product:
advanced research lithium orntate
I had it here. (?)
Do you have an idea of what would be an appropriate does of this?

 

[CoconutEffect]

Ray has written back to me recommending pure Lithium Carbonate.
I buy (optical grade) Lithium Carbonate on Ebay.
Be sure you monitor blood levels, overdosing can land you in the ICU.

 

[DaveFoster]

Very interest stories, glad to see you guys are having so much success with it!

Reddit is littered with horror stories, along with posts that said lithium cured all their problems.

Ray has written back to me recommending pure Lithium Carbonate.
I buy (optical grade) Lithium Carbonate on Ebay.
Be sure you monitor blood levels, overdosing can land you in the ICU.

Did Ray recommend it, or did he say it was safe (and did he mention optical grade)?

 

[CoconutEffect]

Very interest stories, glad to see you guys are having so much success with it!

Reddit is littered with horror stories, along with posts that said lithium cured all their problems.

Did Ray recommend it, or did he say it was safe (and did he mention optical grade)?

I mentioned problems with generic Lithium Carbonate and its fillers. He mentioned that "pure Lithium Carbonate can be prescribed"

He also added

"What seizures and depression have in common is hyponatremia, too little sodium with too much water. Lithium acts on the antidiuretic hormone to reverse that pattern in the kidneys. Thyroid hormone (and sugar, rather than fats) has the function of letting the kidneys retain sodium, while releasing excess water. Progesterone works on the same system."

 

[CoconutEffect]

Note - he did not recommend "optical grade"

The problems with the excipent heavy generic lithium do not occur with the Lithium powder I use. No adverse effects whatsover, even at a very high dose.
Please be careful and use under a doctor's supervision, this is no Lithium Orotate.

As for benefits - I notice it keeps my feet warm and seems to protect against klonopin induced cataplexy.

Unfortunately no benefit to my circadian rhythms. But that's just me - it is purported, however, to help normalize the bipolar "clock" .

Makes me think - if it's increasing body temperature, perhaps I should be taking it in the mornings to entrain circadian rhythms. I will try that and report back.

 

[REOSIRENS]

I take lithium with cyproheptadine only and I don't feel lethargic... It makes me feel spiritually good and mind brain feel like growing... With this combo I am finalizing my projects and my learned helplessness vanish... I enjoy life much better and feel going out more... And feel much more positive about everything.... For me this combo was game changer... I take 150mcg lithium with 4mg cyproheptadine.... You may try 150mcg lithium with 2mg cyproheptadine... There are studies showing that lithium is one of best mind remedies but on right doses... It is all about us to find right dose or combo

 

[member 2106]

Would it not be better to address the social isolation, since you suspect that may be what's affecting your mood?

 

[CoconutEffect]

Would it not be better to address the social isolation, since you suspect that may be what's affecting your mood?

The problem there is it becomes a positive feedback loop where a mood disorder causes the person to isolate, they then get lonely, the depression worsens, they feel guilty for neglecting their friends, the depression exaggerates the guilt, etc etc x infinity.

In my experience when something works for my mood, I parlay the good fortune and make plans to see my friends. However, that inclination may be dependent on individual temperment

I'm very extraverted and so I suspect my depressive episodes may be more painful than the ones of an introvert.

 

[whodathunkit]

I like lithium. First time I took it was like 5mg/day, and definitely noticed a subtle but marked upswing in mood. Stability. Positivity. However, lithium does affect thyroid so after a couple weeks things kind of went downhill. Not bad, but definitely noticeable. After a little research I found out that lithium can tank thyroid function. Even though 5mg is considered a very small dose, it was too much for me. I had to stop for a while but quickly figured out a little bit was all I needed.

I liquify lithium tabs (just put some in water and let them dissolve) and put a little bit of the solution in all water that I drink (I remineralize distilled water and lithium is part of the additive mineral cocktail along with celtic sea salt and other things). IMO mcg's of lithium are definitely helpful in keeping mood stable and upbeat...although it's definitely not a cure-all. Also, watch the dose. Too much is not a good thing. But what's too much will of course vary from person to person.

I'd try self-dosing before going to the doctor. It's probably not something you need a prescription for...those large "theraepeutic" doses are for severely mentally ill people, which I somehow don't think you are. I've suffered from pretty severe depression for most of my life (thankfully I've managed to pull myself out of it for the last few years, after decades of suffering), and believe for most of us, esp. someone as into self-help as you, can likely do a lot more for ourselves than doctors can for us. If I'd been this determined when I was your age I probably could have saved myself decades of trouble. You seem determined, Dave, so chances are good you can do it yourself. :)

BTW, I take lithium orotate. Possibly for large therapeutic doses orotate might be the best, but for those of us who don't need large doses, orotate works just fine.

Also, have you taken a look at any meditative or neural retraining techniques? Since you're going to a psychiatrist prolly you have, but mentioning anyway just in case. I'm finding these techniques very helpful to keep my mood upbeat and focused. Of course we still gotta address the underlying physical problems and deficiencies that could be causing depressive symptoms, but the mental discipline of getting out of the "thought ruts" of depression is very helpful, as is having an immediate strategy to try to snap out of them as soon as they occur. Joe Dispenza's latest book has been particularly helpful to me. He conducts seminars and kind of plugs his own work but it's good nonetheless. Norman Doidge's books are also very good.

 

[REOSIRENS]

Would it not be better to address the social isolation, since you suspect that may be what's affecting your mood?

Well said man! Lithium will help you to be more positive but you will need to make the effort to leave home and connect with people... Go travelling my friend and meet new people it is really nice and good to mind... And having a partner that care about you is really good to beat depression..

 

[REOSIRENS]

Several studies have shown that isolation put you in constant stress...That way wasting away all good nutrients you may have stored through diet and supplementation... From MRI scans the brain of people who isolate are smaller than healthy individuals because they lose neuroplasticity with constant stress caused by being alone(physically/emotionally)

 

[CoconutEffect]

I like lithium. First time I took it was like 5mg/day, and definitely noticed a subtle but marked upswing in mood. Stability. Positivity. However, lithium does affect thyroid so after a couple weeks things kind of went downhill. Not bad, but definitely noticeable. After a little research I found out that lithium can tank thyroid function. Even though 5mg is considered a very small dose, it was too much for me. I had to stop for a while but quickly figured out a little bit was all I needed.

I liquify lithium tabs (just put some in water and let them dissolve) and put a little bit of the solution in all water that I drink (I remineralize distilled water and lithium is part of the additive mineral cocktail along with celtic sea salt and other things). IMO mcg's of lithium are definitely helpful in keeping mood stable and upbeat...although it's definitely not a cure-all. Also, watch the dose. Too much is not a good thing. But what's too much will of course vary from person to person.

I'd try self-dosing before going to the doctor. It's probably not something you need a prescription for...those large "theraepeutic" doses are for severely mentally ill people, which I somehow don't think you are. I've suffered from pretty severe depression for most of my life (thankfully I've managed to pull myself out of it for the last few years, after decades of suffering), and believe for most of us, esp. someone as into self-help as you, can likely do a lot more for ourselves than doctors can for us. If I'd been this determined when I was your age I probably could have saved myself decades of trouble. You seem determined, Dave, so chances are good you can do it yourself. :)

BTW, I take lithium orotate. Possibly for large therapeutic doses orotate might be the best, but for those of us who don't need large doses, orotate works just fine.

Also, have you taken a look at any meditative or neural retraining techniques? Since you're going to a psychiatrist prolly you have, but mentioning anyway just in case. I'm finding these techniques very helpful to keep my mood upbeat and focused. Of course we still gotta address the underlying physical problems and deficiencies that could be causing depressive symptoms, but the mental discipline of getting out of the "thought ruts" of depression is very helpful, as is having an immediate strategy to try to snap out of them as soon as they occur. Joe Dispenza's latest book has been particularly helpful to me. He conducts seminars and kind of plugs his own work but it's good nonetheless. Norman Doidge's books are also very good.

Well said man! Lithium will help you to be more positive but you will need to make the effort to leave home and connect with people... Go travelling my friend and meet new people it is really nice and good to mind... And having a partner that care about you is really good to beat depression..

Have you actually ever had a severe
depressive episode? You don't just get up out of bed, hop on a plane, travel and meet new people!!
You get out of bed....maybe
... and then you take your bloody medication.
A lot of seriously bad advice on this thread - uninformed, positive illusion, self helppy, pop psychology BS. Really not helpful.

 

[member 2106]

Have you actually ever had a severe
depressive episode? You don't just get up out of bed, hop on a plane, travel and meet new people!!
You get out of bed....maybe
... and then you take your bloody medication.
A lot of seriously bad advice on this thread - uninformed, positive illusion, self helppy, pop psychology BS. Really not helpful.

I don't think we're talking about a severe depressive episode here. Rather, "erratic moods". If DaveFoster had said he was barely able to get out of bed in the morning, I'm sure the advice would have been different.

 

[CoconutEffect]

I don't think we're talking about a severe depressive episode here. Rather, "erratic moods". If DaveFoster had said he was barely able to get out of bed in the morning, I'm sure the advice would have been different.

I don't think we're talking about a severe depressive episode here. Rather, "erratic moods". If DaveFoster had said he was barely able to get out of bed in the morning, I'm sure the advice would have been different.

There's hardly any reason for a person with any mood disorder not to be on Lithium (@haidut said something similiar in a recent thread) let alone to be dissuaded from trialing it. I get the anti psychiatry sentiment here, but SSRIs and Lithium are not the same problem.
And why make the assumption that a person with a chronic psychiatric illness even has a supportive social network from which they can benefit.
These are extremely complicated illnesses.
And how good a socializer can you be when you're constantly beset with "erratic moods"?
What if you embarrass yourself socially as consequence of your low mood and raise a few dozen eyebrows. It really isn't that simple.
Truly depressed people often mercilessly blame themselves for their condition.
It took 1 hour on an appropriate mood stabilizer for me to let go of that particularly pernicious form of self punishment (popularized as "self help")

 

[DaveFoster]

I like lithium. First time I took it was like 5mg/day, and definitely noticed a subtle but marked upswing in mood. Stability. Positivity. However, lithium does affect thyroid so after a couple weeks things kind of went downhill. Not bad, but definitely noticeable. After a little research I found out that lithium can tank thyroid function. Even though 5mg is considered a very small dose, it was too much for me. I had to stop for a while but quickly figured out a little bit was all I needed.

I liquify lithium tabs (just put some in water and let them dissolve) and put a little bit of the solution in all water that I drink (I remineralize distilled water and lithium is part of the additive mineral cocktail along with celtic sea salt and other things). IMO mcg's of lithium are definitely helpful in keeping mood stable and upbeat...although it's definitely not a cure-all. Also, watch the dose. Too much is not a good thing. But what's too much will of course vary from person to person.

I'd try self-dosing before going to the doctor. It's probably not something you need a prescription for...those large "theraepeutic" doses are for severely mentally ill people, which I somehow don't think you are. I've suffered from pretty severe depression for most of my life (thankfully I've managed to pull myself out of it for the last few years, after decades of suffering), and believe for most of us, esp. someone as into self-help as you, can likely do a lot more for ourselves than doctors can for us. If I'd been this determined when I was your age I probably could have saved myself decades of trouble. You seem determined, Dave, so chances are good you can do it yourself. :)

BTW, I take lithium orotate. Possibly for large therapeutic doses orotate might be the best, but for those of us who don't need large doses, orotate works just fine.

Also, have you taken a look at any meditative or neural retraining techniques? Since you're going to a psychiatrist prolly you have, but mentioning anyway just in case. I'm finding these techniques very helpful to keep my mood upbeat and focused. Of course we still gotta address the underlying physical problems and deficiencies that could be causing depressive symptoms, but the mental discipline of getting out of the "thought ruts" of depression is very helpful, as is having an immediate strategy to try to snap out of them as soon as they occur. Joe Dispenza's latest book has been particularly helpful to me. He conducts seminars and kind of plugs his own work but it's good nonetheless. Norman Doidge's books are also very good.

Thanks for the kind words and advice. I'll write both of those books down for reading after finals.

Would it not be better to address the social isolation, since you suspect that may be what's affecting your mood?

I think that's part of the puzzle I'm working on. School requires extensive close-work ---> no socialization ----> depression -----> greater focus on close work -----> less socialization.

I'm trying to break these habits with study groups, and figuring out my future plan (ideally I'd want a web-based business with health counseling, nutritional plans, and content, similar to people like Danny Roddy and Matt Stone.

@dilantinoid Thanks for clarifying. What you said about self-help is interesting; are you saying that stabilizing your mood stopped rumination?

 

[member 2106]

I think that's part of the puzzle I'm working on. School requires extensive close-work ---> no socialization ----> depression -----> greater focus on close work -----> less socialization.

I'm trying to break these habits with study groups, and figuring out my future plan (ideally I'd want a web-based business with health counseling, nutritional plans, and content, similar to people like Danny Roddy and Matt Stone.

I think you should avoid going down the road of psychiatric drugs, if you can, especially since you're so young. But I'm certainly not "anti-psychiatry", and it's no good suffering needlessly if there's help available, and if your eforts have been unsuccessful. Study groups are a great idea, and any opportunity to hang out with fellow students might ease the sense of social isolation. It wasn't until the final year of my degree that I began to socialise, and it worked wonders. People eventually accept and embrace your idiosyncrasies.