Drug info - Tell SWIM about ... Lithium

[geezaman]

Obviously this is not somthing many SWIMs would take from choice, more likley somthing that would be prescribed, but SWIM realises he knows very litle about it or its effects other than it "letterboxes" the mind... SWIMs inquisative and wants to know more, for a start where should this thread truly be placed?
Peace
geezaman

[Nahbus]

Not sure why you would want to take lithium.. do you think it's recreational?
SWIM was prescribed lithium for bipolar disorder, don't think he really noticed any side effects.. but the therapeutical dose is right near the toxic ones, so SWIM had to get blood tests every month.
SWIM believes that tremors are one of the main side effects (shaky hands and whatnot).
Do you think SWIY needs lithium for some sort of psychiatric disorder? If so, SWIM always heard Lithium was more of the "tried and true" drug for bipolar disorder, although there are a countless number of new drugs out there to treat such disorders, so SWIM doesn't really know.
Anyway, don't take it for recreation, if that's what SWIY planned. If SWIY thinks he has bipolar disorder he should go to a real doctor to find out what could be the issue. Hell, SWIM would go to more than one doctor, as many doctors in that field mistreat people. It's good to have a wider range of opinions.
Good luck. Be safe.

[Heretic.Ape.]

As to where the thread should probably be placed, I'd say under various drugs (where other anti-depressants and such are).
This ape has not been prescribed lithium but he has been on various other bipolar meds and all seem to do about the same thing, dampen emotion. I didn't like them because they made me feel like an apathetic robot. Lithium has been a very popular drug for bipolar for a long time but is now losing it's high spot on doctors prescription list. I do not know why but I would be interested in seeing what the correlations between the unpopularity of lithium, lithiums patent expiration, and the pharma industries pitching new products and giving "gifts" to doctors offices. However I'm kind of cynical in such matters. I'm not aware of any abuse potential.
h.a.

[kareena]

I put this thread in 'various drugs not covered by other forums' that has a table that briefly compares lithium to other mood stablisers which may be of some help if you are considering using it for psychiatric purposes and want some comparisons to similar medications.

[OccularFantasm]

Lithium is a commonly misunderstood drug. It is actually a mineral, and is somewhat related to magnesium, at least chemically. The doses given out for psychiatric needs are defiantly too high. They often approach or exceed toxic levels, which is why such tests as nahbus had mentioned are necessary. It is supposed to be good for the brain in very low doses, some sort of protective thing against something, I don't fully recall its actions at the moment. From when I used lithium, I felt better and somewhat more clearheaded, although people around me said my mood was notably different and worse. It is not particularly a good thing to play with if avoidable. Therefore if you do not have bipolar disorder or anything, and just want to take large amounts to get high off of, swim can only say it would not be wise. If nothing else, taking high doses of lithium will offset the ratios of other minerals, which could bring about a whole barrage of symptoms.

[geezaman]

SWIM does not suspect that he is bipolar, nor was he considering currently recreational use of this chemical/element/drug. SWIM was aware it was used to treat people with bipolar disorders, and from what he had picked up about it, knew/thought it was considered very effective in treatment, but also shyed away from by those who might be prescribed it.
SWIM did a forum search but found nothing about anything about it except for using its name as a reference so wished to know more.
SWIM will be very honest
- Lithium is not from his current knowladge somthing SWIM would explore,
- SWIM would be interested in experiencing its ability to "level" a persons mood, removing both the high and low of life
- SWIM (from current knowladge) would be very fearful of taking what many may consider an extreme drug, for no good purpose, with the risk of being permenatly changed
-SWIM recently stopped using drugs to the extent he had (and although none of those he used were physically addictive) he found himself with a changed state of mind in many aspects , this lasted about 5 weeks untill a few days ago (when various changes occoured in his life). SWIM was fearfull after no change in this difference for about 5 weeks that he may have been permenently changed. It lead him to consider and think about things he had not done previously. lithium was one of many thoughts hat entere his mind over many aspects over the 5 weeks and, so SWIm came here to find more info, on finding nothing he started this thread

[lulz]

Originally Posted by OccularFantasm

I don't fully recall its actions at the moment

It is thought that lithium depletes a chemical in the brain called myo-inositol, a secondary messenger for serotonin (it is needed for serotonin transmission).
Since many people experiencing manic episodes have excessive serotonin transmission, lithium is supposed to help by lowering serotonin activity. I can't imagine it having any possible recreational use.

[toe]

Well, sites focusing primarily on psych meds will often lump lithium in with the anti-psychotics. In truth, though it's more of an anti-depressant (as mentioned above). Until lamotrigine was approved for the treatment of bipolar depression by the US FDA in methinks 2003, Lithium was the *only* drug that had ever been approved for that use.

As it's not a recreational drug, you probably won't get too much useful info from any of the recreational forums (though you never know- TFSE is your friend). Especially in light of the (much greater than normal) risk that mixing recdrugs with lithium puts one at. Questions would probably work in the pharmacology forums, anti-psychotic forum, the (mislabelled) SSRI anti-depressant forum, and under the parent "various drugs not dealt with elsewhere" forum.