Purpose:ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis)(Started Mar 09, 2009)
Date
Dosage
Efficacy
Side Effects
Adherence
Burden
Mar 09, 2012
800 mg
Daily
?Can't tell
Moderate
Always
Not at all
Aug 24, 2009
800 mg
Daily
Major
Mild
Always
Not at all
Side effects:
Swelling in legs, Urinary frequency, Tiredness, Swelling in hands, Excessive thirst (polydipsia), Muscle aches
Date
Mar 09, 2012
Advice & Tips
I gained weight through water retention, had swollen ankles and hands. I was always thirsty and had high urinary frequency especially at night .
Cost
< $25 monthly
Date
Aug 24, 2009
Advice & Tips
I have been on lithium for 1 year, I was originally given a prognosis of two years, now because of the slowing of my symptoms my doctor says, if there was such a thing as remission in this disease I would have it and can no longer give a prognosis.
Purposes:Increase effect of another treatment and Bipolar Disorder(Started Aug 20, 2007)
Date
Dosage
Increase effect of another treatment
Efficacy
Bipolar Disorder
Efficacy
Side Effects
Adherence
Burden
Mar 01, 2012
600 mg
Daily
Moderate
Moderate
Moderate
Always
Not at all
Jun 24, 2009
600 mg
Daily
Major
Moderate
Always
A little
Side effects:
Diarrhea, Sweating excessive
Date
Mar 01, 2012
Advice & Tips
Stay active. It is easy to gain lots of weight on this medication.
Cost
< $25 monthly
Date
Jun 24, 2009
Advice & Tips
It helped me to be on lithium, but I don't want to stay on it. It is very bad for your kidneys for starters, and I constantly have diarrhea (I nice change from constant constipation with other meds).
However, I missed it one time, and let's just say you don't want to miss this. I was very very unhappy and felt pretty much crazy.
Purposes:Participate in clinical trial and open label trial(Started Aug 05, 2011)
Date
Dosage
Participate in clinical trial
Efficacy
open label trial
Efficacy
Side Effects
Adherence
Burden
Feb 10, 2012
600 mg
Daily
None
None
Always
Not at all
Aug 19, 2011
200 mcg
Daily
None
None
Always
Not at all
Date
Feb 10, 2012
Advice & Tips
easy to take when I thought there was a benefit but when the trial results emerged it was a huge dissapointment.
Cost
< $25 monthly
Date
Aug 19, 2011
Advice & Tips
Too early to say. Having been on the clinical trial for 18 months it's good to know that I now am on the medicine. I think that the trough I am currently in could be due to the withdrawal of the drug but there are many other reasons why I could be down at the moment (pending retirement, decreasing physical ability, end of holidaze).
Purposes:Bipolar II Disorder and Bipolar Disorder(Started Nov 04, 2009)
Date
Dosage
Bipolar II Disorder
Efficacy
Bipolar Disorder
Efficacy
Side Effects
Adherence
Burden
Jul 09, 2011
1050 mg
Daily
Moderate
Mild
Always
Not at all
May 07, 2010
1200 mg
Daily
Moderate
Moderate
Always
Somewhat
Apr 08, 2010
900 mg
Daily
Major
Mild
Always
Not at all
Side effects:
Muscle twitching (fasciculations), Tremor in hands, Tiredness, Problems concentrating, Excessive thirst (polydipsia), Word fishing
Date
Jul 09, 2011
Advice & Tips
Lithium's been the one constant in all my med changes over the past couple years. The dose goes up and down but it's always there and for that I'm grateful. My mood swings are for the most part manageable and much less frightening. If I get stare at the ceiling depressed it lasts the weekend not for months. Manias are mild and involve lots of projects and irritability but for the most part they're still fun. Anxiety is still an issue but it always will be. Hand tremors are easily controlled with Inderal. Sometimes it's unnerving though to think that a lot of what stands between the life I've created and falling apart is a few peach capsules. I'm careful to keep my meds close.
Cost
< $25 monthly
Date
May 07, 2010
Advice & Tips
After each increase in dose I am very tired at first. I could sleep well at night and take several naps a day and still be tired. Fortunately this goes away after about two weeks. I am one of the lucky ones to not gain any weight. If anything I've lost a few pounds from the nausea and loss of appetite. I read somewhere that lithium changes the chemical composition of your saliva and this might be why I just don't have a taste for much of anything. I do, however, have the classic hand tremors and memory problems. These are more of a problem.
I have to say right now that even on a relatively high dose of 1200 mg I don't seem to be getting much if any better. I've been on this dose for 2 1/2 weeks and I still am depressed enough that I don't want to get out of bed, I snap at little stuff like not being able to find my car keys, and I don't like to be around people. So right now it's hard for me to take it because I'm seeing side effects but very little change in my mood. I'm very discouraged.
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