I'm not on it anymore. Since I've been off, I've been losing that weight. Also my hair was falling out and it's grown back. To top it all off it made me like a zombie. Anyone else had weird side effects due to this drug??
2006-09-10 20:52:24 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Health ➔ Mental Health
SEVERAL yrs. back i was on lithium for bi-polar disorder. I had nausea & some vomiting, too i think. i had several of the toxic side effects, but can't remember the others--only the nausea & some vomiting; not a whole lot of vomiting . I was only on Lithium a mo. or two; psychiatrist took me off it - due to those side effects. Also - the Amount of Lithium that can help U - is close to the Amount that can be toxic or dangerous to you! - i read THAT; where? i think in my medical journals! Doc's tried me on Lithium twice I believe it was. A lady who attended Mental Health where I used to attend --had to be rushed to Hospital due to Toxic side effects --i guess you'd call it; she did not die; don't know if they took her off it or not. that was 10 or more yrs. ago. BEst wishes; i am on Zyprexa now & thinking about stopping it again; due to TOO MUCH SLEEPING; it does not usually cux me to get sleepy just after i take it, but in long run - it causes ME to NEED far too much sleep & i only take
2.5 mg. per day! been back on it 3 yrs. I skipped 2 days -taking it and felt like my depression lifted; (yesterday & today) - but then tonite - i took half of 2.5 mg (half as much as I usually take); I might try to Stop taking it again, but will gradually taper off - like i've always done - when stopping any med's; BEst Wishes!!!!
2006-09-10 21:07:48 · answer #1 · answered by Brown Eyed Susan 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It works differently with different people and depends greatly on the condition it's used to treat.
I eat the stuff like candy but my weight has levelled off and although I'm a little overweight, it's not bad.
Unfortunately, this is one side effect that almost everyone has with it, weight gain. Because it's a natural element like salt, it causes the body to retain every form of liquid taken in, including water and fats.
Some people have drowsiness from it. It doesn't touch me in that manner but I do have several other conditions with it. I do believe it's having negative efect on my kidneys and liver, but I'm also suffering from 2 types of diabetes so who really knows?
What I do know, is that it is the safest form of medication that one can take for manic-depression.(Bipolar) I cannot quit taking it. I've tried weaning down of my present 4 pills a day, but I go squirrely without it. I once was on 2400 mgs daily which is triple the average dose.
Nothing else worked for me. It definitely has had an effect on my memory, as well as my intimate life. But I thank God I have it because it has made life more predictable and helps me to control my moods much better.
Never was a zombie on it though. LOL I'm too tightly wired to EVER be a zombie!
That's the kind of side-effect you'll get from valproic acid, tegretol, and topomax, or the antidepressants and tranqs you usually have to take with it.
Anyway, glad to hear you're off it and I wish you the best with that.
God Bless and thanks for reading.
2006-09-10 21:10:39 · answer #2 · answered by krazykritik 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Common side effects of lithium include nausea, loss of appetite, and mild diarrhea. These side effects will usually go away after the first few weeks as your body adjusts to the medication. Dizziness and hand tremors have also been reported. Increased production of urine and excessive thirst are two common side effects that are usually not serious problems. Other side effects of lithium include weight gain, hypothyroidism (low levels of thyroid hormone), increased white blood cell count, acne, and skin rashes. Signs of hypothyroidism include dry skin, hair loss, sensitivity to cold, hoarseness, mental depression, and weight gain.
Consumers should tell their doctor immediately if they develop lack of coordination, muscle weakness, slurred speech, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, confusion, or an increase in tremors or shaking. These symptoms may be a sign of having too much lithium in the body which requires medical attention.
2006-09-10 20:56:24 · answer #3 · answered by Jim 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My primary practitioner prescribed Effexor XR to me and it did no longer take long till now i found out that crap substitute into no longer for me. I examine up on it and once you're taking it a on a similar time as and then pass off of it you've got extreme withdrawals, yet no longer in basic terms that, the stuff made me sense merely such as you defined you're feeling. i substitute into shaky, dizzy, had rapid heartbeat and merely felt universal weird and wonderful. I in basic terms took it a pair weeks and that i mentioned to heck with it. i'm additionally on Lexapro and that works wonders for me. it extremely is an antidepressant and it is likewise for generalized tension sickness. I even have been on it for a pair years now and that i'm doing great. Throw the effexor away, once you refer to you checklist, of course. He would desire to dose you right down to maintain you from going off chilly turkey. I merely stopped taking it myself, yet, like I mentioned, I had in basic terms been on it a pair weeks. the indicators went away after some days and the stuff have been given out of my device. by no potential back will I take that stuff. sturdy success.
2016-09-30 13:53:24 · answer #4 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yep like Lycatol I get all weired and when I have too much I end up weting myself if I fall asleep.
Take care!
2006-09-10 22:46:04 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I've never taken lithium.
2006-09-10 22:50:45 · answer #6 · answered by First Lady 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
its a bad drug
2006-09-10 20:57:27 · answer #7 · answered by knowitall 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋