Posted by ronaldo on November 2, 2006, at 16:11:16
In reply to Re: Your meds » ed_uk, posted by Squiggles on November 2, 2006, at 15:23:08
> > I would consider lamotrigine as a possible treatment. Perhaps, if lamotrigine was helpful, you might be able to reduce your lithium dose? I wouldn't recommend making any abrupt changes to your medication. Lamotrigine is a drug which needs to be introduced gradually - the initial dose is very low......increasing to a therapeutic level over several weeks. After a few weeks on lamotrigine, you might feel able to reduce your lithium dose slightly eg. to 800mg/day.
> >
> > On the other hand, it's early days on Zyprexa 10mg. Perhaps it would be best not to make any changes to your medication until you've fully stabilised on Zyprexa, which might take a couple of months.
> >
> > Regards
> >
> > Ed
>
>
> There are a number of reasons why I must not
> get off lithium and onto another drug:
>
> 1. My doctor refuses to lower my lithium
> dose - i have asked numerous times; and
> to tell the truth, when i tried to lower it
> myself, i did not feel well at all;
>
> 2. There is no reason to switch from lithium
> to something else; my kidneys are fine, my
> thyroid is stable, my psychological state is
> good, and my heart is fine. My only real
> problem is the typical side effects of lithium
> (which is a problem with every drug) and the
> diarrhea, which may or may not be due to
> lithium.
>
> 3. Switching to another drug after so many
> years would require the possibility of withdrawing from clonazepam (out of the question), adjusting
> the thyroxine - very tricky;
>
> 4. It is not known how the withdrawals and the introduction of a new drug would react on my body after so many years.
>
> 5. If it does not work out, it is not known if the damage done could be reversable.
>
> AFTER SO MANY YEARS OF STABILITY AND PSYCHOLOGICAL GOOD HEALTH (which others would envy on the armamatorium of current psychiatric drugs) WHY SHOULD I CHANGE TO SOMETHING EXPERIMENTAL AND CONTRARY TO MY AND MY DR.'s ADVICE?
>
> Squiggles
Hi SquigglesThanks for your arguments for the status quo - I will bear them in mind. I always keep the saying 'out of the saucepan into the fire' in the back of my mind. Ten mg of Zyprexa seems to be working for me, it feels more positive than when I was on the 5 mg. I feel as if I was not getting the full benefit of the drug at just 5 mg. If 10 mg Zyprexa continues to treat me this well, and maybe even better with the lapse of time, I will leave my meds alone - at least for a few months. At present I am living from day to day not knowing what the next day will bring and not knowing whether I will get a decent night's sleep. If I sleep well then the next day is most likely going to be good. I have had a good day today after a good night's sleep last night. I thank the 10 mg Zyprexa for that.
Like you I have been on Lithium for about 25 years altogether. I did come off it temporarily in 1987, after 11 years on it, without any difficulty but my wife persuaded me to go back on it after I blew my top about a work related matter. One thing I have learnt since joining psychobabble is that you have to give the drugs time to settle into your system. I think I was too hasty with my conversion to Seroquel, never mind the Zyprexa seems to be working.
Unlike you I have not been well settled psychologically on the 900 mg Lithium. I suffer flat affect, avolition, social withdrawal, and apathy. After the 10 mg Zyprexa has settled in I would like to address these negative symptoms ie if they have not already been addressed by zuper Zyprexa.
I'm glad Lithium at 900 mg split into three daily doses works so well for you. I agree it would be madness to mess with something that works so well.
....Alan
poster:ronaldo
thread:699709
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20061028/msgs/699824.html