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Diagnosed With Bipolar And Prescribed Lithium. Will Lithium Be Beneficial Or Cause Problems If I Am Not Bipolar?
Question: On Monday I went to a family doctor and he said he believes I am Bipolar and wrote me a script for Lithium (300mg 2x/day). The next day I went to my therapist and she said no way am I bipolar. She says i have some OCD tendencies with severe anxiety which results in a crash into depression every 3 years (it cycles). I can no longer keep paying to see the therapist but I realize I need something to help me although I am very leery of psych meds. My question is - could the Lithium be beneficial in helping pull me out of this deep depression I am in or could it cause major problems if I am not truly Bipolar?
I have been on SSRIs in the past - Lexapro made me manic, Zoloft gave me horrible Akasthisia, Paxil gave me heavy weight gain, severe flattening of mood and they all caused the normal issues. I was recently on xanax for 5 years (1mg/day) and completed a 1 year long taper off 2 months ago which is not helping the issue.
I have been on SSRIs in the past - Lexapro made me manic, Zoloft gave me horrible Akasthisia, Paxil gave me heavy weight gain, severe flattening of mood and they all caused the normal issues. I was recently on xanax for 5 years (1mg/day) and completed a 1 year long taper off 2 months ago which is not helping the issue.
Brief Answer:
Hello
Detailed Answer:
Welcome to XXXXXXX
Your family doctor says that you have Bipolar while therapist says its not bipolar but severe anxiety arising out of Bipolar tendencies. You have been advised to take Lithium carbonate 300 mg twice a day. You have taken SSRI in past and escitalopram cause mania, paroxetine resulted in weight gain. Amisulpiride caused akathesia.
Now coming to your question-
- Yes Lithium can result in improvement in depression. It is a nice mood stabilizer and it cause significant improvement in resistant and bipolar depression. Even if you are not having Bipolar, it will not cause side effects as long as mood symptoms are considered.
You have developed mania while on SSRIs and had multiple episodes of depression in past so most likely it is bipolar but I will need more elaborate description of symptoms to ascertain exact diagnosis.
Hope this helps you, if you have more queries you can ask again.
Thanks
Hello
Detailed Answer:
Welcome to XXXXXXX
Your family doctor says that you have Bipolar while therapist says its not bipolar but severe anxiety arising out of Bipolar tendencies. You have been advised to take Lithium carbonate 300 mg twice a day. You have taken SSRI in past and escitalopram cause mania, paroxetine resulted in weight gain. Amisulpiride caused akathesia.
Now coming to your question-
- Yes Lithium can result in improvement in depression. It is a nice mood stabilizer and it cause significant improvement in resistant and bipolar depression. Even if you are not having Bipolar, it will not cause side effects as long as mood symptoms are considered.
You have developed mania while on SSRIs and had multiple episodes of depression in past so most likely it is bipolar but I will need more elaborate description of symptoms to ascertain exact diagnosis.
Hope this helps you, if you have more queries you can ask again.
Thanks
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
ok. I realize you. cannot prescribe like this but it sounds as though lithium may be beneficial but not harmful. although my therapist disagrees my girlfriend says I do have sort of manic highs where I am impossible to keep up with and my energy is abnormal. this happens during my three good years. then I crash during the bad times. repetive negative thoughts, worrying, depersonalization derealization etc.
based on how I feel tonight I need to start something and maybe lithium is the right choice. or a start. I am just terrified of it making things worse like when lexapro made me manic after only one pill and I was yelling at people and stayed up for three days with too much energy.
based on how I feel tonight I need to start something and maybe lithium is the right choice. or a start. I am just terrified of it making things worse like when lexapro made me manic after only one pill and I was yelling at people and stayed up for three days with too much energy.
Brief Answer:
Hello again
Detailed Answer:
Lithium is very useful in bipolar disorder for control of mood symptoms. You had experienced manic highs and you cant control your energy. You develop symptoms like negative thoughts, worrying, depersonalization, derealization etc. These symptoms are mainly the negative symptoms of depression only. Excess energy may occur due to mania.
Lexapro can result in aggravation of manic symptoms but this dont occur after single dose only. The drug can cause restlessness, akathesia like symptoms in first dose. Most likely the symptoms of mania you have experienced with single dose were due to this restlessness only and they were not of mania. But if a patient is in mania and he is given escitalopram which result in restlessness then it may aggravate the symptoms of mania.
Just to reassure you, there is no harm in taking the Lithium. If taken under proper guidance and with proper prescription then it result in improvement.
Thanks
Hello again
Detailed Answer:
Lithium is very useful in bipolar disorder for control of mood symptoms. You had experienced manic highs and you cant control your energy. You develop symptoms like negative thoughts, worrying, depersonalization, derealization etc. These symptoms are mainly the negative symptoms of depression only. Excess energy may occur due to mania.
Lexapro can result in aggravation of manic symptoms but this dont occur after single dose only. The drug can cause restlessness, akathesia like symptoms in first dose. Most likely the symptoms of mania you have experienced with single dose were due to this restlessness only and they were not of mania. But if a patient is in mania and he is given escitalopram which result in restlessness then it may aggravate the symptoms of mania.
Just to reassure you, there is no harm in taking the Lithium. If taken under proper guidance and with proper prescription then it result in improvement.
Thanks
Note: For further guidance on mental health, Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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