Lithium Orotate for Bipolar symptoms...

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Tue Nov 22, 2005 3:50 pm

Hey Folks!
I was wondering if any of you have had any personal experience or know anyone who has, with taking this suppliment?

I am taking it, in conjunction with St. Johns Wort to help me stay on a level keel and help my bipolar symptoms...

Supposedly it's non-toxic because it's much less of a dose, but I am already having some secondary side effects...

Most are good! I feel much more positive in my outlook on life and less reactive and angry.. But my hunger is going quite wacko!!!

I read that people who take full strength prescription Lithium have to deal with very dangerous side effects, like when it gets to a toxic level in the blood, and can cause liver damage... Plus it's common for people to gain lots of weight when they go on it...
This can't be good for managing depression!
I am going to look up more about the reason for this weight gain in most people...

I'm also pretty thirsty at times, so I assume this requires more water intake than I have been drinking....
Well any info is appreciated.. If you feel like private messaging me or emailing me instead of a public post, that's cool too....

Have a great day!
Peace and Love,

Deb

inghol · Post by **inghol** » Wed Nov 23, 2005 9:26 am

Hi Deb!

For what it's worth, although I suspect you already know this, St. Johns'Wort is actually capable of having an effect on certain medications.

It induces drug metabolising enzymes and a number of important interactions with conventional drugs have been identified. I think the most commenly known is that it lessens the effects of Antibiotics and Anticoagulants.

In the British National Formulary (BNF) book for prescriptions it states antidepressants should not be used with St. Johns' Wort because of the potential interactions. I realize your type of lithium is less potent and more natural but if it's together with SJW, who knows? Presumably it's o.k. with your Doc?

I have no personal experience of Lithium other than having seen patients take it long term (the higher dose) and having to make sure their bloods are checked for hypothyroidism and renal implications.
Increased fluidintake due to thirst is normal and o.k. provided no excess salt is taken. Excess hunger would have been put down to the crap british NHS hospital food, so nothing new there...

What would worry me slightly is the Serotonin Syndrome, there's quite a bit on that on the net. I'm sorry if I'm stating the obvious , I know you're aleady very well informed on all things medical.

It's great that it seems to be working well for you, there are far worse meds out there for BD.

Take care

Love
Ingrid

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Wed Nov 23, 2005 2:44 pm

Hey Thanks Ingrid!
I don't believe that Lithium Orotate has any contraindications as far as other nutritional supplements, including St. Johns...
But yeah, good point to remember...
I'm actually going to take even less, than the minimum amount, as my nerves are racing along, like lightning.. LOL...
I'll be taking half a cap (120 mgs) during the day, and possibly, that's all I'll take... Or the other half in the late afternoon....
Last night I found an article which mentioned that Lithium Orotate helps to remyelinate the nerves... This would explain the quicker nerve impulses..
I think I'll just keep up this regimen for a month or so, and see how I react.
I'll probably keep a wellness journal to track any updates and reactions...
So far I think these issues will become totally manageable and I will adapt well to this...
If I have to drink more water and have a slightly bigger lunch or extra salad, then so be it... Today I don't really feel too hungry, but I didn't take it yet! LOL...

Also, I wasn't taking it with food, like recommended on the bottle.. Perhaps it was being absorbed too rapidly... I'll take it with a meal from now on...

Have a nice day!
Peace and Love,

Deb

inghol · Post by **inghol** » Wed Nov 23, 2005 7:03 pm

Hi again, Deb!
Just wanted to say how impressed I am with your plan. Sounds like you are well on top of this

I wish somebody would remyelinate my nerves......

Love
Ingrid

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 1:58 pm

Hey Friends!

I decided to stop taking the Lithium Orotate...
Even after cutting the tabs in half and the weird ravenous hunger thing passing, I am now finding that I'm rapid cycling between up and down more than I have for many years... So, yeah I have felt more up in some ways, which have been productive... I would hear myself saying positive self talk, here and there, where, possibly before I would be making excuses to not get things done... But I've still been too on edge than I'd like to be... Maybe I'm used to my nerves not being so awake! LOL... I was hearing people crunch popcorn from ten feet away two rows back when we went to see Harry Potter yesterday! LOL... When I'm like this, every stimuli is a potential aggravation... It's really not a fun way to live!

But my old feelings of panic and fear started coming over me yesterday, and it felt like I had gone from extremely "up" (mixed feelings of happy and irritable and tense) to the "dark side" this week... I felt a dread coming over me which could only be described as morose or morbid... It lasted all day, though I didn't have any particular trigger that I could think of, other than Winter finally setting in...This is a hallmark of Bipolar Depression... At times you have a sense of fear that is so overwhelming, and so, seemingly unwaranted, that it just freaks you out.... I actually feel, at those times, like I'm going to die... And I had some really rare and unpleasant dreams for the past few days...
I'm going back to the St. Johns Wort alone...
I'll try taking Calcium and magnesium, plus I'll get some fish oil again to start with that.. My main issue was that I just had bad pms...
Kindof bummed that the Lithium brought out all my bipolar symptoms, and didn't lessen them.. How strange!
Thanks for listening guys!
It's wonderful to have the support of this group..
Really invaluable! Just to be able to share and hold hands!...
Man I really need to get back into balance...

I will be making Yoga and meditation much more of a focal point than before...
Also, I want to buy a bunch of really big and nice candles, because the Winter is so dark.. I need natural light to cheer up this joint!
LOL..

Peace and Love,

Deb

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 2:43 pm

Hi Deb,

sorry to hear that the meds didn't work out. I hope you feel more balanced soon.

love, C.

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 2:59 pm

Thank you CJ!!! I do too!
Hugs out to the hashing harrier!!!

For the (anal) record... I wasn't taking the pharmaceautical dose of Lithium, just the over the counter mineral supplement...
I had really horrendous experiences, which dwarfed the symptoms, I described here, when I experimented with doctor prescribed anti depressants, five years ago.. I had tried three different ones... Those produced secondary side effects which were unreal, like comatose tiredness so bad I couldn't even drive my car home one day from the park which was three blocks away from my Moms house, and insomnia for 10 days straight, with only one hour of sleep each of those nights, plus, after that, I had two weeks of unremitting constipation...
So again, I emphasise, this wasn't nearly as bad as when I tried "Meds" in those times...I thought this would be better since it's only 1/20th the strength..
Well I am off now to get a bit of exercise in for the morning, then I have a massage at my office to do, and later, another at the gym...
Then, Yoga in the afternoon...
Looks like a nice day lined up...
Just gotta keep breathing!

Love,

Deb

carolejo · Post by **carolejo** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 3:40 pm

Hiya Deb,

It's OK. I'd worked out it wasn't the pharma-style mega-dosage stuff. But meds is meds, right? Even if it's just a vitamin C tablet, it's meds to me

Have a great day (it sure sounds like there's some fun stuff lined up in there too!)

If you'd like, I can ask my little sister if she knows of anything that might help you - non prescription, non-mega-meds, of course. She works in an early interventions team for young people who are experiencing their first episodes of psychosis and has been working in the field of mental health for about 8 years now.

Let me know if you want me to ask. I can't say for sure if she'll have any ideas and I guess you've probably tried just about everything out there anyway, but it's another place to look for info.

love C. xxx

peetie · Post by **peetie** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 5:18 pm

Deb,
I feel your pain regarding the insomnia. I have tried every natural possibility known to mankind. I am so frustrated! Nothing works. I went to the doc yesterday and decided to be a guinea pig for Lunesta which is supposedly nonaddictive and something you can take long term. Had a crappy night sleep with it...woke a dozen times, and did some more research and found that it caused cancer in lab animals, but has translated yet to humans. Well, it has only been out for a few months!!! So...that was a failure.

She wants me to try time release Ambien next. That is addictive, but atleast has been out longer, so any untoward new side effects would probably not be present.

If I don't take anything, I'm lucky to get an hour nap. This is torture!!!

Hope you're feeling better on your new regime.

Love,
Peetie

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 7:14 pm

Peetie! Thanks for writing... You sound really ready for a cure~
Wow that sucks!!!!
I actually don't have insomnia now... That happened five years ago when I tried to take Wellbutrin... It was really hell...
Now I sleep pretty well, except for the two or so, times in the night when I have to get up and use the bathroom...
If I've got a lot on my mind, sometimes I have a rough night, but it's pretty rare these days....
I believe wholeheartedly, that Yoga has helped me sleep much much better...
I so recommend you try to find a nice teacher and a class you can attend a few times a week...
The inverted poses, especially, like Shoulder stand, or simply putting your legs up against a wall, help with insomnia...
Non addictive physiologically, but you will want to come back and work out more, as it's a gentle and you honor your body at whatever stage it's at...
Love,

Deb