To BIPOLAR patients pls?

Question

I am a bipolar patient and I am using lithium as a protective medication.What I wonder is,is any of you have been on lithium for manic depression?If so,have you ever had a manic episode while you were under lithium medication?
My doc told me that it is not a hundred percent protective,that I might have manic or depressive episodes in the future even though I use lithium regularly.I'm scared by that!So I would be glad if you shared your personal experiences with me.

Answer 1

I am not Bipolar but speak as a mental health nurse with some years' experience in hospital and in the community.
It is rare for Bipolar clients to become ill when taking their medication. What is much more common is that they stop their medication and then become ill after days, weeks or months. They may stop for various reasons: enjoying a mild elation while hoping they will not become manic, denying or not recognising their illness, having intollerable side-effects or believing they are better.

If you have side-effects talk to your doctor as there are a few newer treatments being used, eg, Olanzapine and Aripiprizole.

If you do sense that you are becoming ill, then manage your stress, eg, make sure you are not overdoing it, get plenty of sleep, talk to friends/carers, have a break. As far as I remember of the few people who have become ill while on meds, stress or major life events have always been behind a relapse. However I also know people who have coped very well under very difficult circumstances.

Answer 2

I am bipolar and am taking 1350mg of lithium a day. It doesnt really stop me from going high - i am still quite aware that i am manic but it does stop me from going really manic where i am psychotic etc. I still have symptoms like sleeping 2-3 hours a night, being really talkative and spending money, just typical stuff. I know that lithium doesnt work in 100% of people so maybe its not the one for me or i need an add-on medication like valproate or something. If it can keep you from being too depressed and going manic then its the med for you. Just make sure you take it everyday and get regular blood tests to check the serum level in your body. It should be 0.6-1.2 i think. My doctor keeps mine at 0.8.
All the best.

Answer 3

Hi. I am Bipolar and take Lithium. I have been on Lithium and other medications for over 10 years.

First of all, you have to understand that even though you are taking medication, you could experience an episode.
Why?
1) Your body changes, so if your lithium level drops too low, it might not be protective enough. That is why you need to have your blood levels tested every 3 months. By doing this, you are ensuring that there is enough Lithium in your body to work.
2) Sometimes stressors can effect your moods, which might cause you to fall into an episode. For example, I had my shift changed at work and my body got out of whack. This caused me to slide into an episode, which got out of control because I did not have enough medication to deal with this additional stressor.
3) **** happens. Sometimes, our bodies just react. That is why when mania happens, the doctors will add anti-pyschotics or other meds, etc. Because one med or a combination of meds might not always protect against **** happening.

How do we protect ourselves?
1) Get enough sleep
2) Eat well
3) Try and exercise daily
4) Take our meds
5) Take vitamins
6) Try and reduce stress in our lives

Good luck! It will be ok.

Answer 4

Meds help keep you level, but they don't make you impervious to future episodes. I was stable on my meds last year, but when I got seriously stressed out about moving I still had a depressive episode. I ended up in the hospital, where they tweaked my meds and I'm back to being stable again. With bipolar there is no guaranteed stability. Sometimes meds stop working as well, sometimes they're not enough. It sucks, but it's a sad fact about our illness.

Answer 5

I am not bi-polar but I am a licensed mental health provider with a long history of working with bi-polar clients. It is possible but it is not likely. Try not to stress over this. You need to be getting counseling at least once a week and that therapist could help monitor your mental and emotional state. Good Luck

Answer 6

I don't think you should take false treatments for false diseases do you? Nah! You can do what you want to though!