Posted by noa on July 7, 2000, at 9:34:43
In reply to the good thing about the combo, posted by Wallabee on July 7, 2000, at 6:47:14
I have no experience with this combo, but my pdoc has told me he uses the combo a lot, because he does not like to have patients on too high a lithium dose, even tho lithium is what he considers the gold standard. He doesn't want them to go higher than blood level of 1.0. So, he usually pairs it with either lamictal or depakote, so less lithium is needed.
While I was on lithium, my thyroid went further hypo than it was and that made me more depressed. I ended up deciding to discontinue the lithium because it hadn't done that much for me anyway (I am not bipolar--no mania or hypomania). I have since consulted with an endocrinologist who told me essentially what you said above, ie, that I could have stayed on the lithium, but just adjust the thyroid hormone dose to keep up.
Good luck.
poster:noa
thread:39627
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000630/msgs/39661.html