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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
[email protected]Shown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Wildflower on February 14, 2005, at 11:34:25
Could someone please explain to me the reason for prescribing this? I'm already on wellbutrin, cymblta, lamictal and klonopin. I've been diagnosed with depression and anxiety.
What type of "help" does lithium supply?
Posted by Optimist on February 14, 2005, at 12:45:47
In reply to Low dose lithium, posted by Wildflower on February 14, 2005, at 11:34:25
> Could someone please explain to me the reason for prescribing this? I'm already on wellbutrin, cymblta, lamictal and klonopin. I've been diagnosed with depression and anxiety.
>
> What type of "help" does lithium supply?It looks like the lithium was prescribed to increase the efficacy of your AD's. It is common to add lithium to treatment resistant depressives, even if there's no evidence of bipolar. Actually it's usually the number 1 add on in that case. What did your doc say?
Brian
Posted by Wildflower on February 14, 2005, at 13:09:28
In reply to Re: Low dose lithium » Wildflower, posted by Optimist on February 14, 2005, at 12:45:47
Thanks. My doc really didn't explain the reasoning and I'm one of those people that needs to know the details behind it. She hasn't prescribed it yet but she probably will when I see her in a week. We've been talking about it for a while. I just didn't think I could handle taking one more pill in the morning.
I've heard of people taking lithium only. Is it considered an AD?
> > Could someone please explain to me the reason for prescribing this? I'm already on wellbutrin, cymblta, lamictal and klonopin. I've been diagnosed with depression and anxiety.
> >
> > What type of "help" does lithium supply?
>
> It looks like the lithium was prescribed to increase the efficacy of your AD's. It is common to add lithium to treatment resistant depressives, even if there's no evidence of bipolar. Actually it's usually the number 1 add on in that case. What did your doc say?
>
> Brian
Posted by Optimist on February 14, 2005, at 16:36:41
In reply to Re: Low dose lithium » Optimist, posted by Wildflower on February 14, 2005, at 13:09:28
> Thanks. My doc really didn't explain the reasoning and I'm one of those people that needs to know the details behind it. She hasn't prescribed it yet but she probably will when I see her in a week. We've been talking about it for a while. I just didn't think I could handle taking one more pill in the morning.
>
> I've heard of people taking lithium only. Is it considered an AD?Although it's considered a mood stabilizer it does have significant antidepressant qualities especially for getting one out of the depths of a suicidal depression. It's the only med really indicated for it. It's great at getting one out of the depths of a depression but not all that great on it's own to restore one to normalcy. That's for unipolar depressives though, for bipolar lithium only is sometimes enough. Adding lithium to AD's as I said before often makes them work better. By which mechanism, I'm not sure.
I may add some low dose Lithium to the Parnate I started today if it doesn't work out as well as planned. Wish me luck!
Brian
Posted by smith562 on February 14, 2005, at 18:39:13
In reply to Low dose lithium, posted by Wildflower on February 14, 2005, at 11:34:25
Lithium at low to moderate doses is reported to "sensitize" the post synaptic serotonin receptors ... thus making any antidepressant (especially more noradrenergic TCAs) more effective. At least that is what the old studies hypothesized ....
Smith
> Could someone please explain to me the reason for prescribing this? I'm already on wellbutrin, cymblta, lamictal and klonopin. I've been diagnosed with depression and anxiety.
>
> What type of "help" does lithium supply?
This is the end of the thread.
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