What is your experience with Lithium or Depakote?
Lithium i couldn't tolerate being on......but that proably included many factors as it was when i was starting to go into denial about bipolar and didn't want to be on meds, and my stupid boss at the time would never let me leave work to get bloodwork done when the only clinic i could go to was only open when i worked, so never got at theraputic levels. Depakote almost completely levels me out. Side effects with depakote suck....especially first going on it....for me mostly tremors which tapered off after a short time and GI issues, which I have found probiotic suppliments and eating enough fiber was enough to straighten it out......but for me they are worth dealing with for the benifit Add: No depakote does not numb me out at all. I can not remeber if the lithium did for me or not.....i was just a mess the short time that i was on it.
Do I feel like this because of the Lithium?
Taking lithium with food can help decrease or avoid stomach upset. Lithium may cause dizziness or drowsiness, especially when first starting the medication. Make sure you know how you react to the medication before you drive, operate machinery, or do other activities that may be dangerous if you are not alert. Patients taking lithium should not start a low salt diet without talking with their healthcare provider, since low sodium blood levels can increase the risk of lithium toxicity. Lithium should not be taken with coffee, tea, or cola since caffeine can decrease lithium levels in your body. Avoid drinking alcohol or using illegal drugs. The level of lithium can be measured to ensure safety and effectiveness. High blood levels can result in more side effects, and low blood levels may not treat symptoms well. Lithium tablets or capsules are usually taken 2 or 3 times daily, however, lithium may be taken once daily as long as a person tolerates the possible stomach upset. Your healthcare provider will determine the dose that is right for you based upon blood level and your response. While many people take 900–1200 mg/day, you may need higher or lower doses. Use a pillbox or calendar to help you remember to take your medication. The loss of too much water or salt from your body can lead to serious side effects from this medication. Make sure you drink enough water in hot weather, during activities that cause you to sweat (exercise, saunas, hot baths), or when you have the flu and are experiencing vomiting and/or diarrhea. Symptoms that may occur in an overdose: confusion, difficulty concentrating, sluggishness, vomiting, diarrhea, poor coordination, tremor, and muscle weakness or twitching. In severe cases, people can develop seizures, respiratory difficulty, coma, and death is possible. People who are taking lithium should consult their doctor before taking or discontinuing the following: Diuretics may increase the amounts of lithium in the body, Antipsychotics may increase or worsen the side effects of lithium, Anti-inflammatory drugs may increase the amounts of lithium in the body, Antihypertensive drugs may increase or worsen the side effects of lithium, Carbamazepine may increase or worsen the side effects of lithium. For lithium to reach its maximum effectiveness, two to three weeks are often required.
Bipolar 1 - Lithium or Depakote (Divalproax)?
I have used both of these drugs and out of the two I would pick lithium, which I did and I am on it now. They both are not harmless drugs. Both require that your blood be monitored to watch for problems even though the clinic i go to does not do tests on me more than maybe 2 times a year. Depakote Has a negative effect on your liver and that is what they are looking at when they do the blood tests. As you said it will also make you gain weight like you said and it causes some people to lose their hair. I read lithium causes 50% of the people to gain 10 or more pounds in the first year that you are on it. Lithiums is hard on your kidneys and has a narrow range of what is considered a therapeutic level in your blood stream. In extreme cases the toxicity levels can cause serious problems, but I have been there and the only thing that happened was that I waas too weak to get out of bed and do anything. With lithium there are restrictions about salt intake and you are supposed to be cautious about drinking enough fluid and exercising to hard. I originally stopped depakote because it came to light that I have liver disease and the depakote was only going to make it worse. I switched to lamictal which probably the mood stabilizing drug with the fewest side effects that people complain about. My doc showed me an article that showed that people on lithium were less likely to commit suicide compared to other drugs and I had multiple attempts that summer and agreed to take the lithium. I can't say it is really all that helpful because I still have mood cycles while I am taking it.
How does depakote and lithium react?
They don’t interact much. The combination might be really helpful. https://www.sciencedaily.com/rel... One of the problems with lithium carbonate is that over the long term it does damage to kidneys and also the thyroid. It would be worthwhile to discuss with your doctor taking alternative forms of lithium including lithium citrate. Some of these alternative lithiums are available without prescription.My ex-wife even went “toxic” on too high a prescribed dose of lithium and ended up with real life amnesia. (she remembered things before going toxic, but for a few months she couldn’t make any new memories. She met several people “for the first time” several times over) She nevertheless continued using lithium because depakote alone didn’t work nearly as well to control her moods swings. I tried to get her to try accupuncture, but she mostly dismissed it as voodoo.If you can take an adjunct med that reduces your dependence on lithium, that is a good thing.
Can taking prescribed Depakote and Lithium make a bipolar person more energized/talkative?
Lithium is a very well-known poison which is proven totally ineffective in the treatment of bipolar (actually that's why you're prescribed the combination of 4-5 drugs apart from lithium now). Depakote, on the other hand, is an antiepileptic drug whose efficacy on bipolar is not shown with independent,repeatable clinical trials. Long term use of lithium causes tyroid problems which could be deadly in conjunction with a heart problem. Depakote on the other would definitely cause either kidney damage or liver problems and thus carries all the risks of not only death but a very comfortable and painful life to you until you die as bipolars are prescribed these antiepileptic drugs in 1000-15000 times higher doses than the epileptics take. All the other drugs (antidepressants, antipsychotics along with lithium and depakote) you're prescribed have all the potential of creating either heart problems or diabetes and even dementia as well. Ask yourself if it worths to damage your health to the point of death with unbearable pains. My advice to you is never to take them anymore. But beware that if you quit these drugs abruptly you can experience terrible and sometimes life threatening withdrawals. These drugs should be quitted with the guidance of an expert and under clinical supervision. Living a healthy life worths than living in a chemical straitjacket which is the only thing modern psychiatry currently offers.
Depakote gives me daily headaches? Is lithium a good option?
Ive been on Depakote for over a year and it has given me headaches off and on but I had klonopin for headaches and sleep. Now the klonopin seems to not work as well and the headaches are getting worse. I am thinking about asking the pdoc for lithium? good idea? She told me that this would be our next option.
What's the difference between Depakote and Lithium?
To answer your question: Lithium is a basic element that has good results with mood stabilization in many people. Depakote is a drug developed as an anti-convulsant that is often used as a mood stabilizer. (It is also used for some people to treat migraine headaches) Finding the right drug or mix of drugs that help a person with a mind illness is a process. Some people are lucky and the doc gets it right the first time. For most of us, it is a long process of trial and error to find out what works. Be thankful that you have a doc who is willing to try something different when it is apparent that the current program isn't working. We each respond differently to different medications. I didn't became a zombie on lithium, but I did experience other undesirable side effects (tremors, intensinal upset). I gained a lot of weight on Depakote. I "zombied" on Topamax. The point is, different things work for different people. I wish you the best. Work with your doc's and they WILL find something that works for you.
What works better for bipolar disorder: Lithium or Depakote ER?
Lithium works well for my manic type symptoms. Depakote quelled the cycling. It's possible that I could take more Depakote and stop the Lithium, but Li gives me no appreciable side effects whereas Depakote does. What works best is what works for you. Lithium is the best at protecting your brain, so from that perspective it definitely is the best med to be on if it works for you. Since it's been used for so long, how to manage it is well known and it is one of the safest. However, Lithium is not known as being the best at rapid cycling. Long-term (i.e. 20 years) kidney problems can crop up. Since you have rapid cycling and are already on it, I'd up on the Depakote until you have side effect problems or are near the max w/o adequate efficacy. You do have a ways to go since 500mg is a baby dose, and you can always add on Lithium or another med. Dep, however, messes with your liver (I think) and other body systems. It's not the nicests of the stabilizers in that regard, particularly for women. Both meds require routine full blood panels to monitor for problems before they become real problems. If anger isn't resolved with end of hypo/mania, therapy is needed.
Which medication is harder on the body, lithium or valproic acid, for the treatment of bipolar disorder?
There isn’t a simple answer to this, as it varies from person to person what side effects they may experience from a particular medication. For both lithium and valproic there are target blood levels to achieve effectiveness and minimize risk of toxicity, so people on both of these medications should have regular bloodwork done. In terms of impact on the body, lithium affects the kidneys and valproic acid affects the liver.