Lithium for Cyclothymic Disorder User Reviews

• 44y...
• March 7, 2016

"Ok, we all know that people respond differently to meds. BUT this is my story. I was on the verge of losing my husband of 24 years. Feeling I had hit rock bottom, I decided to see one more doctor. I had taken every antidepressant under the sun in the last 20 years for 'anxiety and depression,' and I had high hopes every single time... nothing was working, and I was getting worse. My doctor started me on lithium 300mg twice daily. I can honestly say I felt a huge difference after the first 24 hours. My mind was quiet, and I felt calm. No racing thoughts, no panic attacks, no overthinking anything... just peace. I have been on it for 2.5 weeks now, and I finally feel normal again. I am more considerate and loving to my family ❤️"

• The...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 19, 2019

"I came across one of these reviews here and decided to try lithium orotate OTC supplement. I had previously tried: Lamictal (gave me the rash), Topamax (gave me memory loss and lip sores), Abilify (made me have psychotic visions). I was getting desperate.... My cyclothymia gives me lack of focus, difficulty thinking, irritability, extreme mood drops where I feel exhausted and sometimes just downright angry. Lithium orotate took all of that away. I take 10 mg in the morning, and it keeps me stable, happy, focused, energized... sometimes I need a little more around 4 pm, I put a pill in water and take a few sips. So in total, I am probably taking 11 mg per day. I sleep like a baby, no nightmares, peaceful sleep. It’s been a lifesaver, and I will be using it to control my mood swings."

• Tim...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 4, 2019

"I am on lithium, and it did not stop my manic-induced insomnia. So my doctor tried Seroquel and now Abilify, known to take along with lithium for mania. My body handles lithium well, especially since my blood level is only 4L after taking 900 mg daily. I suspect my pdoc will want to increase to 1200 mg, but then I will not take Abilify (scary side effects as on most psychotics). All in all, I am well balanced (thanks to lithium), except for the insomnia, which I hate, but nothing is perfect. I have noticed that if I take any amount of alcohol and sweets, my hypo-manic phase is not too far behind."

• Cal...
• November 21, 2020

"I've been on lithium for around 2 years in total. I did come off my medication for a couple of months, but had bad withdrawal, so decided to go back on it! Overall, lithium is a good drug, it’s helped me no end. It’s helped with my mania, but not my depressive episodes. Has anybody else experienced this? It’s great for my mania, though just not the depressive episode! I also take risperidone 5 mg for psychosis, venlafaxine 150 mg, propranolol 160 mg, and buspirone 20 mg."

• I...
• July 1, 2016

"I've been on lithium for 4 months now. As far as helping my mental symptoms, I couldn't be happier, BUT after about 2 months, my hair started coming out. My doctor assured me it was not the lithium (even though it's a documented side effect). He said it was due to the huge amount of stress I had been under, and hair shedding was the effect of it now. 3 months later. Well, after 4 months, my hair is STILL coming out, and I have 1/3 of the hair I had before. I cringe every time I wash it because I don't want to see all those strands circling the drain. My doctor insists I continue it, and he hasn't even offered to change it (only reduce the dose 1 month ago). Folks, I have had enough!! I decided to try lithium orotate OTC. I started it today."

• poo...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 16, 2023

"I take 300 mg Lithobid (ER). To be honest, I don't like the way I feel, but for the first time in my life, I don't feel like I'm forced to be silent due to the overwhelming butterflies in my stomach. I will rate this medication a five because I am experiencing some very unpleasant side effects, including restlessness/akathisia, which leads to horrible insomnia. In many ways, I am behaving worse than I did before I took lithium, with the way that I am insulting those around me (due to my newfound 'uncensorship'). But I'm not breaking things like I used to, which was a primary incentive to wanting to try this medication. I also have horrible ADHD, and ironically, I've felt this way about every medication I tried in 2022, but I feel like this medication makes it harder to feel content and comfortable in my own skin. This goes hand-in-hand with the restlessness feeling. If I can re-start Adderall and a medication to help me sleep, who knows how long I will end up taking this medication."

• nnn...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 26, 2021

"Been on lithium since December 2020 and never felt better. I’m calm, patient, no racing or obsessive thoughts. I stopped crying and feeling down. My PMS is way better and I don’t get all irritated and edgy now. In a nutshell, lithium is worth trying. Hope its good effect is gonna last. PS: One side effect I dislike is the metallic taste in my mouth, but not sure if that’s due to lithium or the probiotics I’m taking. I also get super thirsty, so I drink a lot and end up in the bathroom most of the time. But it’s still worth it. Oh yeah, and I’m super hungry all day. But I manage to stay healthy as much as I can."

• Jac...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 16, 2021

"I took lithium carbonate 150 mg at night for mood disorder and suicidal ideations related to PTSD and anxiety disorder. It immediately stopped my nagging suicidal thoughts and calmed my racing thoughts down at nighttime, but even at a low dose, it came with side effects. First off, my sleep became very unsteady and I would awaken several times at night, which is linked to its decreased REM sleep activity. It also completely got rid of my libido and gave me bad ED, which reversed exactly six days after stopping it. I can see why it's such a blessing for those with bipolar, and I do believe it's safer than some reports claim, but it is just not worth the hassle to me. I will try and work on my bad thoughts via ongoing therapy."

• Tim...
• August 13, 2019

"It keeps me balanced, but does not help with insomnia when hypomanic."