88 patient evaluations for Lithium Carbonate

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May 9, 2017 (Started Mar 01, 2010)

  • Effectiveness
    Slight (for suicidal thoughts or urges)
  • Side effects
    None (for Overall)
  • Adherence
    Sometimes
  • Burden
    A little hard to take
Dosage: 300 mg Daily

Dec 4, 2010 (Started Mar 01, 2010)

  • Effectiveness
    Major (for suicidal thoughts or urges)
  • Side effects
    Moderate (for Overall)
  • Adherence
    Usually
  • Burden
    Somewhat hard to take
Dosage: 300 mg Daily

  • 1 helpful mark

Oct 31, 2008 (Started Jan 14, 2008)

  • Effectiveness
    None (for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis)
  • Side effects
    None (for Overall)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 150 mg Daily

  • 0 helpful marks

Jan 1, 2000 (Started Jun 30, 2000)

  • Effectiveness
    None (for bipolar disorder)
  • Side effects
    None (for Overall)
  • Adherence
    Usually
  • Burden
    A little hard to take
Dosage: 300 mg Daily
Advice & Tips: I did not feel any better taking lithium and always having to have my blood check to make sure the lithium levels were correct was annoying. Eventually, I was switched to something that was stronger and easier to manage on my end.
Cost: < $25 monthly

  • 0 helpful marks

May 27, 2015 (Started Nov 04, 2009)

  • Effectiveness
    Major (for bipolar I disorder)
  • Side effects
    Mild (for Overall) (tremor in hands, muscle twitching (fasciculations), word fishing, problems concentrating, tiredness, excessive thirst (polydipsia))
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 900 mg Daily
Advice & Tips: I should add that shortly after that last evaluation I ended up in the hospital so perhaps I wasn't doing so well as I thought. That was almost 4 years ago, however, and I am doing much better. Sometimes I'm even able to forget about my illness, except for the meds and therapy and pdoc visits. I've been at my job for 5 years, full time for 3. I've been in a steady relationship for 2 1/2 years. I'm even working on going back to teaching, possibly in an urban setting. I'm where I never thought I would be 6 years ago, healthier than I've probably been my entire life.
Cost: < $25 monthly
Side effects: muscle twitching (fasciculations), tremor in hands, tiredness, problems concentrating, excessive thirst (polydipsia), word fishing

Jul 9, 2011 (Started Nov 04, 2009)

  • Effectiveness
    Moderate (for bipolar II disorder)
  • Effectiveness
    Major (for bipolar I disorder)
  • Side effects
    Mild (for Overall) (tremor in hands, muscle twitching (fasciculations), word fishing, problems concentrating, tiredness, excessive thirst (polydipsia))
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 1050 mg Daily
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
Side effects: muscle twitching (fasciculations), tremor in hands, tiredness, problems concentrating, excessive thirst (polydipsia), word fishing

May 7, 2010 (Started Nov 04, 2009)

  • Effectiveness
    Moderate (for bipolar disorder)
  • Side effects
    Moderate (for Overall) (tremor in hands, muscle twitching (fasciculations), word fishing, problems concentrating, tiredness, excessive thirst (polydipsia))
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Somewhat hard to take
Dosage: 1200 mg Daily
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.
Cost: < $25 monthly
Side effects: muscle twitching (fasciculations), tremor in hands, tiredness, problems concentrating, excessive thirst (polydipsia), word fishing

Apr 8, 2010 (Started Nov 04, 2009)

  • Effectiveness
    Major (for bipolar disorder)
  • Side effects
    Mild (for Overall) (tremor in hands, muscle twitching (fasciculations), word fishing, problems concentrating, tiredness)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 900 mg Daily
Cost: < $25 monthly
Side effects: muscle twitching (fasciculations), tremor in hands, tiredness, problems concentrating, excessive thirst (polydipsia), word fishing

  • 0 helpful marks

Jun 30, 1992 (Started Jun 30, 1992)

  • Effectiveness
    Slight (for bipolar II disorder)
  • Side effects
    None (for Overall)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 300 mg Daily
Cost: < $25 monthly

  • 0 helpful marks

Sep 15, 2012 (Started Jul 18, 2012)

  • Effectiveness
    Major (for bipolar disorder)
  • Side effects
    Severe (for Overall)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Somewhat hard to take
Dosage: 300 mg Daily
Advice & Tips: Everyone is different. This worked without the severe apathy at 600mg. P-doc increased it to 900 because that was the therapeutic dose, but I didn't care about SHIT on that dose. Just stopped it. A lot of people find it really helpful. I'm just one person, one experience.
Cost: < $25 monthly

  • 0 helpful marks

Jul 3, 2013 (Started Aug 20, 2007)

  • Effectiveness
    Can't tell (for bipolar disorder)
  • Effectiveness
    Can't tell (for Increase effect of another treatment)
  • Side effects
    Moderate (for Overall) (weight gain, excessive sweating, diarrhea)
  • Adherence
    Never taken as prescribed
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 600 mg Daily
Cost: < $25 monthly
Side effects: diarrhea, excessive sweating

Mar 1, 2012 (Started Aug 20, 2007)

  • Effectiveness
    Moderate (for Increase effect of another treatment)
  • Effectiveness
    Moderate (for bipolar disorder)
  • Side effects
    Moderate (for Overall) (weight gain, excessive sweating, diarrhea)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 600 mg Daily
Advice & Tips: Stay active. It is easy to gain lots of weight on this medication.
Cost: < $25 monthly
Side effects: diarrhea, excessive sweating

Jun 24, 2009 (Started Aug 20, 2007)

  • Effectiveness
    Major (for Increase effect of another treatment)
  • Side effects
    Moderate (for Overall) (weight gain, excessive sweating, diarrhea)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    A little hard to take
Dosage: 600 mg Daily
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.
Cost: < $25 monthly
Side effects: diarrhea, excessive sweating

  • 0 helpful marks

Jul 1, 1987 (Started Jan 15, 1986)

  • Effectiveness
    Slight (for bipolar disorder)
  • Side effects
    Severe (for Overall) (weight gain)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Somewhat hard to take
Dosage: 300 mg Daily

  • 0 helpful marks

Nov 1, 2012 (Started May 15, 1998)

  • Effectiveness
    Can't tell (for bipolar disorder)
  • Side effects
    Moderate (for Overall) (memory loss, increased urination, hunger, thirst)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 450 mg Daily
Advice & Tips: I wanted to stop taking this to see what would happen. I've been on it for 16 years and at that point I couldn't tell what may have been side effects of the drug or what were my bipolar or something else. Also I was worried about it's toxicity.

  • 0 helpful marks

Oct 17, 2012 (Started Aug 29, 2012)

  • Effectiveness
    None (for suicidal ideation)
  • Side effects
    Mild (for Overall) (ringing in ears (tinnitus))
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 600 mg Daily
Cost: < $25 monthly

  • 0 helpful marks
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