new med Lithium

Going to give it a try :) 

I would explore Lithium a little further. It can have effects way beyond affecting your thirst.  Probably the most important thing is that the difference between a therapeutic dose and a toxic dose is not vast. Your doctor will have mentioned blood tests to you. You have to keep your Lithium level within given limits and  the only way to do this is by having blood tests maybe once a week at the beginning. Excess Lithium is not a good way to die, I have sat with someone who took an OD while they died. To be avoided at all costs.

Assuming you achieve this therapeutic level you aren't quite out of the woods. Lithium has quite an effect on the Thyroid Gland for some people. At the minimum level you just get hormone levels in your blood that are outside the normal range. At the serious level the Thyroid can swell and give rise to a goitre.

Very rarely Lithium can cause Kidney problems. Blood testing should pick this up before it becomes serious but some people do still seem to get it. I have it down as being a long term effect but I am not sure.

I certainly wouldn't want to discourage you from taking it, it can be very effective, but you should be aware that it can have problems.

Steve

Thanks Steve, trust me i will keep a close eye on how i react, i am due a blood test anyways (fasting as i am tired all the time trying to work out why) is it depression and stress or something else.  

So i think i say i start it after we have blood results back :)

Thank you Steve :) 

Your doctor shouldn't prescribe Lithium until you have a blood test showing normal Thyroid function so you don't have much choice but to wait. It is bound to be one of the things they have requested from your blood tests.

One last point on Lithium safety. A number of drugs can change how a given oral dose of Lithium translates into a blood level. Almost all are prescription only so your doctor can take care of that. One isn't and that is Ibuprofen. If that is something you take often I would mention it to your doctor.

Steve

Yeah i know i am litually said to them i am not going to start it until i have had a blood test Steve, even though they wanted me to start it without one1 

I cannot take Ibuprofen at the mo Steve because i get really upset stomach, so Ibuprofen is really bad if you have a bad stomach so stopped taking it. 

All my other meds are prescribed or muti vituiams so i double check that :) 

Ta Steve for your advice, i have heard good stories about this drug and very bad, but i am feeling so crappy i would be willing to give it ago :)