I was just perscribed lithium for my depression where it is getting really bad. I am on Lamictal, prozac and now lithium. What are the side effects of lithium and how did you react to it and did it help you. Did you gain alot of weight?
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It hasn't been too bad. For a while my dose wasn't being monitored properly and my dosage was raised all the way up to 1200mg of lithium carbonate per day with absolutely zero attempt to check my level and surprise I built up a toxic level in my blood. It wasn't all that bad, I just didn't have any energy to get up out of bed but that may have been partially due to the fact that I am lazy and unmotivated. They lowered my dose and everything went back to normal. It is hard to say if I gained weight because for my diagnosis I am constantly stopping and starting meds that affect my weight and I also have an immune disease that causes my weight to go up and down. I have lost about 70 pounds in the last 9 months without trying. What I read was that 50% of people who take lithium gain 10 or more pounds in the first year. A big problem for me is that lithium is notorious for causing hand tremors. I already had them and the lithium made them worse. I can barely type and I am taking 3 different medicines that are supposed to help but they don't work all that great. Lithium also can have a serious impact on the health of your kidneys, but I am not sure about what that entails.