Just started lithium - any advice?

So last Thursday I went to my first psychiatrist appointment. I was diagnosed as bipolar and put on 600mgs of lithium at bedtime and .5mg of Xanax as needed. The first two days were rough, I slept a lot and just felt very laggy. A few days after that I was fine but yesterday I ended up leaving work early because I felt exhausted and weak. I know these are normal side effects but I was just wondering if anyone else experienced this and had some advice on how to get past it. And also how long you had this weak and tired feeling. I’m calling my pdoc today to see about a doctors note for the time I’ve missed so I’m not sure if she’ll wanna see me again already to readjust but any experiences/advice would be much appreciated!

I took lithium for about 2 years and I didn't experience that side effect, but I did get these twitching movements. After about 2 weeks, it went away. But do call your doctor and see what he/she has to say. They want to know you are safe on this new med, so be sure to call.

I took Lithium a long time ago...I don’t recall that side effect.

I do recall it’s critical to drink a certain amount of water daily....ask your doctor how much. Also, I seem to recall ibuprofen being prohibited but I could be wrong. Ask. It’s about protecting your kidneys.

Hope you feel better soon.

I didn't get that from lithium, but that sounds like a nuisance. When I took lithium I was told to split my dosage up morning and night so I wasn't getting hit with all of it at once.

But yeah, just make sure you stay hydrated, keep your salt intake about the same every day, and don't take ibuprofen because it raises your levels (Tylenol is okay).