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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 12 of 12. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by slinky on December 3, 2004, at 18:14:56
Hi it's me...
I got angry/agitated on depakote..
I'm 5 days into lithium no side eefects but getting more agitated..I wasn't agitated before starting it.
Am i having a paradoxical reaction again...why do meds have opposite effect on me.
The first 2 nights on lithium I heard voices
bloody wiered it's supposed to help with depression not throw me into mania.
If it wern't for gabapentin I'd be mega nuts.
Anyone had this reaction.
Thanks
Posted by linkadge on December 3, 2004, at 18:21:15
In reply to agitation on lithium WHAT? WHY?, posted by slinky on December 3, 2004, at 18:14:56
Thats how I felt. I added lithium to celexa, and got very irritable. Angry, yelling at god all day long, etc.
I stopped it.
I tried to start a post somewhere up there, but never cught on.
I should never have stopped it in the past, now I have nothing.
Linkadge
Posted by slinky on December 3, 2004, at 18:58:48
In reply to Re: agitation on lithium WHAT? WHY?, posted by linkadge on December 3, 2004, at 18:21:15
Yeh..I added it to paxil..It's my 1st time on lithium.
The celexa still may help you a little..until you find something more helpful...don't give up
Posted by olysi79 on December 3, 2004, at 19:30:16
In reply to Re: agitation on lithium WHAT? WHY? » linkadge, posted by slinky on December 3, 2004, at 18:58:48
Hi there, I also had agitation from Lithium... very uncomfortable, hence i decided no thanks... Perhaps try a mood stabilizer, i think it would be of benefit to you :)
Best,
Chris> Yeh..I added it to paxil..It's my 1st time on lithium.
>
> The celexa still may help you a little..until you find something more helpful...don't give up
Posted by Tom G on December 3, 2004, at 23:15:47
In reply to Re: agitation on lithium WHAT? WHY? » slinky, posted by olysi79 on December 3, 2004, at 19:30:16
I got this exact same agitating affect when I raised lithium from 900mgs to 1200mgs. If felt as though I wanted to grind my teeth and all the blood was rushing to my head. It was like I was under some sort of pressure and I was going to blow my top. Lithium initially gave me some great effects but it only lasted five days and then I became agitated like you said. The agitation stopped after I quit lithium. I looked high and low on this board for people who experienced this same agitation and to no avail I could not find one person who I thought really experienced what I did. You are the first person other than me who I've seen this happen to. The only literature I saw where this could happen said it would happen at very high doses. Who knows?
Posted by linkadge on December 3, 2004, at 23:27:31
In reply to Re: agitation on lithium WHAT? WHY?, posted by Tom G on December 3, 2004, at 23:15:47
I know that lithium has proconvulsant and anticonvulsant properties. This is, I suppose what is responsable for it's antidepressant/antimanic effects. I do know that lithium oftentimes does not work in people with a history of seizures. I think in certain types of temporal lobe problems it does not calm agitation. I have heard of it causing paradoxical reactions in anger disorders. You may want to see if a temporal lobe acting medication works. Ie tegretol.
Linkadge
Posted by bipolarspectrum on December 3, 2004, at 23:32:29
In reply to Re: agitation on lithium WHAT? WHY?, posted by Tom G on December 3, 2004, at 23:15:47
Hello,
I had a very similar reaction to lithium... i was taking slow-release and it caused really weird anxiety and agitation.. it wasn't mental, but more physical agitation, like a constant need to fidget.. on top of this, i had severe insomnia.. it was as if lithium sent me off slightly hypomanic.. I'm not sure if thats quite sure, but it felt like a possibility...
bps
ps. i dropped the lithium before total sleep deprievation
Posted by prodgirl on December 4, 2004, at 0:06:59
In reply to Re: agitation on lithium WHAT? WHY?, posted by Tom G on December 3, 2004, at 23:15:47
I'm with you on the agitation. I was afraid I would be sedated and the opposite happened. Like most meds, see if it is just the initial reaction your body is having. I was able to ride it out, so far the lithium seems to be helping. No highs, my anger and irritation have quieted completely. At 1500mg I am finding that I am gritting and grinding my teeth like mad, but other that than, much better.
Posted by slinky on December 4, 2004, at 4:18:57
In reply to Re: agitation on lithium WHAT? WHY?, posted by prodgirl on December 4, 2004, at 0:06:59
Thanks everyone..
Well, I've only had 2 hours sleep woke up ithching like crazy-no rash..I can't eat.
I'm on 400mg slow release.
Tegretol was the other option but I was afraid it would make me more depressed. Maybe I'll try that one next
I'll ride out lithium for another week until i see pdoc
Lamactal did the same agitation irritable..depakote was horrible...started making me so angry.
I'm taking the full amount of neurontin which is helping alot.
I also can't find any info on the net about this
I got thinking maybe I am right about my own diagnosis-not bipolar but adult attention problem prone to depression or maybe the temporal lobe siezures...
Well at least my apartment will be tidy I'll take it out on that..I'm known to constantly move furniture around.
Posted by slinky on December 4, 2004, at 4:21:08
In reply to Re: agitation on lithium WHAT? WHY?, posted by slinky on December 4, 2004, at 4:18:57
Posted by Ritch on December 4, 2004, at 9:54:13
In reply to Re: agitation on lithium WHAT? WHY?, posted by slinky on December 4, 2004, at 4:18:57
Did they start you off right at 900mg/day? If you are just adding it on for depression maybe that is too much for you and taking 300mg or 600mg would work better. Both Neurontin and Lithium are eliminated by the kidneys, there *might* be an interaction there (your lithium level might be higher than your doctor thinks for the dose you are taking). I'd get a blood draw. Also, the calcium channel action of the Neurontin might be interacting with the lithium in some way that makes it agitating. Just a hunch, but I think *slowly* adding some Tegretol to your Neurontin might work better for you than lithium if that doesn't settle down--Mitch
Posted by slinky on December 4, 2004, at 18:11:54
In reply to Re: agitation on lithium WHAT? WHY? » slinky, posted by Ritch on December 4, 2004, at 9:54:13
Hello Mitch..
I take 400mg slow release at night..I go for a blood test tuesday..then see doc a week later.
I eventually got some food and slept all day so feeling ok at the moment. I do wake up feeling a bit better then start to go downhill during the day/or night
I'll just have to see how it goes
Thanks
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