Posted by Ron Hill on January 5, 2004, at 16:22:13
In reply to Re: Lithium or Lamictal rash?? » Ron Hill, posted by katia on January 5, 2004, at 15:51:52
Katia,
> Thanks for getting back to me. I'm BPII - you're right. Are the dosing schedules/amounts the same across the board for Li? I'm on Eskalith CR.
I think that all lithium carbonate medications are similar with regard to dosage amounts independent of brand name. However, I'd have to look it up to be sure. What lithium blood level is your doctor hoping to achieve in your case?
> If so, you're only on 300mg? Wow! is that enough?
Most of the time, yes. If hypomania starts to poke its head out, I have to corral it by increasing to 450 or 600 mg/day until the hypomania subsides.
> Anything else you take? Oh, yeah now I remember - you take tons more minerals and things.
Here is my current cocktail:
300 mg/day Lithobid (moodstabilizer).
300 mg/day St. John’s Wort (provides some good antidepressant effectiveness).
L-theanine (increases dopamine and GABA, reduces cortisol; treats irritability). Currently, I take 200 mg of l-theanine PRN (as needed) to treat irritability. Lately, I have not needed to take it very often. But when I do, it calms my irritability for about five hours. Until a couple of weeks ago, I had been taking 400 mg/day of l-theanine for about seven weeks. However, I fell into a deep depressive episode, and I decided to err on the side of caution and reduce my dosage of l-theanine because some research indicates that it can reduce serotonin levels. I don’t know for fact that l-theanine contributed to my depressive episode. Perhaps I was just cycling (bipolar II).
250 mg/day of TMG.
Small pocket-full of vitamins and minerals per day (most notably, 800 mg/day of magnesium taken at bedtime to improve sleep and overall brain functioning).
Three teaspoons of Carlson’s Fish Oil per day.
About four cups of green tea per day.
Exercise (1 – 2 hours/day; reduces depression and irritability but can increase hypomania, thereby, requiring a temporary increase in the amount of moodstabilizer).
NO REFINED SUGAR!!
No alcohol (and no recreational drugs since the 70's).
Zone diet.
> Have you experienced this mind stupor on Lithium?
At 900 mg/day I would. Even at 600 mg/day I experience a dulling sensation.
> My rash is subsiding - thank god. I stopped the lamictal yesterday.
Good!
-- Ron
poster:Ron Hill
thread:98867
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040105/msgs/296832.html