Lithium... and I'm new here, so hello! :]

I began treatment for Cyclothymia only recently. After much research, I brought up Lithium to my psychiatrist who agreed quite adamantly with the treatment (which brings us to my post).

I have been on a low does of Lithium for two weeks, 150mg twice daily. I actually just got by blood drawn and my thyroid checked today (which is the usual process one goes through after being on Lithium for that amount of time). I'll receive my results in a few days.
My real question here is about Lithium side-effects. I haven't noticed any of the usual ones that dissipate over time (like hand tremor, lethargy, etc.), but I have noticed one peculiar and particularly disturbing one:
When I am standing, my head feels strange. It's indescribable, as if the feeling is something between a buzzing sensation and a tingling one. This problem continues while I stand, walk around, and go about my business. Sometimes it lessens, then returns.

Has anyone else experienced this with Lithium? Will it go away? I get the feeling it must just be an anomaly, because I can't find any documentation of it anywhere else.
I am only twenty-one and the feeling began about three days after being on lithium... so I don't believe that anything else could be causing it.

Forgot to add this, since I am new to this forum:
My name is Carrie. It's a pleasure to meet you all.
I've had cyclothymia for quite some time. Unfortunately, I've been misdiagnosed with numerous mental "illnesses (using quotations here, because I don't particularly like the idea of being defined as "ill" by my madness... at least, not until I really am immobilized by one thing or another)" I've been told I was depressed, then dysthymic, then ADD (this diagnosis coming from the bitter truth that I am often daydreaming, but I believe that thought is as essential as any other priority).

I have PTSD from a dark past I'd rather not discuss in detail. I also have insomnia... but I believe that most of us do in at least our manic phases. I've come to accept it, and simply ignore the concept of time altogether (until I depart for work, of course <-retail).

Apart from all of that (because there really are parts unrelated)... I spend a lot of my time journal-ing and sketching. I also paint pretty often and create flowers, which I'm hoping to set up a booth for and sell at some point during an art walk (for those of you who haven't been to an "art walk," they're designed for exactly that).
I think that about covers my introduction. :] ...Now about this whole lithium head-buzz thing?

Hi unordinarymadness : ) (Carrie)
Welcome! Lithium was my first med, too - along with wellbutrin, and xanax for anxiety - helped for insomnia, too - but can be higly addictive. but I didnʻt experience those side effects that you described. In fact, when I switched pdocs, I was so grateful to get OFF of lithium because I gain lots of weight on it, and my old pdoc insisted that lithium wasnʻt the cause, but my new doc showed me in black and white how there is high med and low risk of weight gain and lithium clocks in right in the middle. I was a lab rat for 10 months trying to get it right with my first pdoc, but those side effects sound abnormal to me. I would call your pdoc immediately about this side effect, especially if you donʻt see it documented as a normal side effect elsewhere... none of us are doctors here, but I would certainly be alarmed and calling him or her immediately for this one is super important. There are so many other options for mood stabilizers out there now... and one thing Iʻve learned is that what works for one person doesnʻt work the same for another. Right now, lamictal and a topamax blend is my mood stabilizer combo(though I wouldnʻt recommend it - itʻs purely for weight loss purposes - I will eventually just go with lamictal... but itʻs working wonders for me with a combination of wellbutrin XL, but youʻll find that Koshka is finding her sweet blend on something entirely different and it has taken trial and error over many years to find what brings balance to your own brain. Youʻve found one of the coolest reasons why this place can be helpful...people who are going through the very same struggle and can at least give some insight based on our own personal experiences... never, however, to supplant sound medical advice!

I thank you for sharing your story with us. That misdiagnosis had to have been a frustrating journey to say the least... I know about the insomnia... and the dark past... hard to accept being "ill - mentally" still donʻt - I ascribe to the belief that we mad hatters are given a special mission: to navigate the space between brilliance and madness! (I so wish I penned that myself! but I would be plagiarizing from the Icarus project - another forum much like this one - too hard core for me, though) It doesnʻt surprise me at all that you are an artist, and you journal! That you think deep thoughts, and express those thoughts through your art! that you are extremely passionate and passionately extreme! hee hee! We certainly wonʻt have all the answers, but we are here to listen, and relate when no one around you has a flippinʻ clue what youʻre going through : )

Thanks, Fire.

Oddly, I haven't gained any weight on Lithium. I'm petite to begin with (according to the Publix scale I stepped on). It can affect the thyroid over time, though and cause hypothyroidism. Also, since it is a salt it can cause bloating (ever been to a hospital where they filled you up with saline and you left quite larger than before? Pretty similar to that, but you don't get to leave unless you cut the drip out yourself). So it certainly isn't good for one who is watching his or her weight.

Lithium actually has an interesting history following along the same subject of weight, salts, and what-not. Originally, it was given to patients with heart problems as a salt substitute. Imagine this for a moment... Sprinkling Lithium atop a potato, mixing it into sauces, even baking with it! This wasn't very long ago, either. We're talking '40s. Suffice it to say, these victims of their lithium- baked goods died rather abruptly and that medical spot of brilliance met it's immediate end.

I understand that this forum isn't any substitution for a doctor's visit, but I was feeling a bit desperate... I counted my Lithium tonight and discovered that I had taken one more than I should have at some point prior to leaving that message (oops?). I'm thinking that was the cause. Note to self: never, ever do that again.

...a lot of my favorite artists and great thinkers have suffered from some form of madness or another. I know my paintings are more emotional when I feel that random, pulsing force from within, which I've been told is called "mania," or "hypomania."
Those lows really do bite, though.

Aaah! You're refreshing! Never knew those fascinating facts about lithium! no wonder my toes swelled up like extra plump grapes after particularly salty meals. I had a really dangerous interaction when three of my meds contained salt and when I checked drugs.com red warning signs popped up and I was experiencing all kinds of spooky side effects. That's when I changed pdocs and it's been a whole new world ever since. I'm curious why your pdoc has you on lithium alone and no antidepressant like wellbutrin? We all tend to become cyberchondriacs reading anything and everything about med combinations and drug interactions. A mood stabilizer alone isn't something I hear frequently. What was your doctor's rationale? I find that the antidepressant keeps the low from being sooo low while the mood stabilizer helps keep the swing from being so extreme. The rest is up to me... All the other strategies that I can employ to keep myself balanced and well. But do I EVER remember how much those lows "bite" BIG TIME. Hope you stick around unordinarymadness. It's been a pleasure getting to know you. You taught me that artists express emotion!! I will look at paintings with a whole new perspective and appreciation! Someday I'll find a place where there's an "art walk" and think of you and I'll see art in a whole new way! I look forwad to learning and sharing much with you on our journey my fellow mad hatter! LOVE your quote, by the way!!

Haha, thanks. I wanted to use a quote from Walt Whitman, originally (which I wasn't aware existed until watching Breaking Bad... awesome show, by the way):

"WHEN I heard the learn’d astronomer;
When the proofs, the figures, were ranged in columns before me;
When I was shown the charts and the diagrams, to add, divide, and measure them;
When I, sitting, heard the astronomer, where he lectured with much applause in the lecture-room,
How soon, unaccountable, I became tired and sick; 5
Till rising and gliding out, I wander’d off by myself,
In the mystical moist night-air, and from time to time,
Look’d up in perfect silence at the stars. "

Not all artists paint emotionally. Every one is different. An artist who takes a class, may paint as he is taught ("with much applause in the lecture-room"). Of course, there is the rare case of someone being born with both talent and creativity... but the drive that fuels that initial need to create is never going to be the same for everyone, and can't truly be categorized.


I'm not on an antidepressant because I'm prejudiced against antidepressants. Also, when I feel depressed it is for real reasons (generally misanthropic ones, like... animal abuse which I wish I could remove from my mind entirely, but someone sent me an effing picture of this poor, mangled cat...), or if I've been manipulated (not that that happens often). The depression just lasts longer than it should...
I really have no logical reason as to why I don't like SSRI's (antidepressants). I guess I'm biased against them because my mom kept trying to shove them down my throat when I was a teenager, insisting that I was depressed and once even informed my therapist that I had an eating disorder (my mom is abusive, and exponentially crazier than I am... and not in that "fun at times" sort of crazy. She believes that I am cursed by Satan and tells me about her "visions" in which I am seen having snakes pour out of my orifices... then she throws me down staircases and into furniture [I don't live with her anymore, my only roommate is my cat, who has never tried to throw me into furniture or feed me drugs] ). About the eating disorder? No, never had one. The depression? Well sure, but I was living with Mrs. Crazy and Mr. Apathy (mom and dad!)
So, because my mom once said "Yes!" to SSRI's, I now say "No..." Illogical, but I'm sticking to it. It makes me feel rebellious.

Also, Wellbutrin would probably worsen my insomnia.. It felt like a stimulant while I was on it, if I'm recalling correctly. I also remember that I smoked cigarettes at the time, and it made them taste funny. Apparently it's used for smoking cessation. Go figure.

Fire,
Not that it's entirely relevant, but am I speaking with a man or a woman here? I'm only asking because it changes the way that I perceive and phrase things. Namely, when we're speaking of medication and anxiety (not that we've touched on that anxiety piece). Your avatar reminds me of an anime I love called Rurouni Kenshin (...I'm a nerd, no doubt). Any reference?
Weight has become such a ridiculous priority for women, and now seems to be seeping into the male psyche as well. Regardless of gender, nothing is as precious as the mind within the body. In fact, I can't see very well beyond that. I remember my mom showing me a magazine or pointing out men while we were shopping and saying,
"Isn't he cute?" I've never had a proper response to that question. How can you tell without knowing the person inside of the shell?

Tangent again, I think I'm using this forum as a second journal now. In case there was some doubt, I'm not asking about sexual preference or sexual anything. I'm bordering on asexual, honestly (I've been told that "bipolar can do that to you," but I doubt it's that simple). So any gender is perfectly safe with me because I am apathetic in those regards.
I just find that I can relate more with women on certain matters, ones like "swelling toes." That seems to be an odd one more specific to women than to men. No clue as to why, but many women I've met with anxiety who take medication for this or that often have restless legs or swelling toes.

Extraordinary!
I'm a woman i was 5'4" 125 lbs most of my adult life til I got married 10 years ago... I was 34 back then... Body image was never an issue for me until I started to gain weight soon after I got married and my self-esteem took a blow when I could tell that it bothered my husband! Insecurities crept in... Then I got pregnant and weighed 200 lbs after giving birth. To look in the mirror and and not see the person you were used to seeing most of your life, compounded with a husband whose eyes looked right through you because of your size, words insisted not so, bit a woman knows when attraction and desire leaves her husband's eyes... Ugh! So the battle to lose then get pregnant and gain again lose and gain again on the triple salt med cocktail has been ongoing. There are so many areas from my own dark past I am healing from... I even chose to leave my husband 6 weeks ago because I had lost my self completely and desperately needed to break free to "find myself"
How cliche- but true... To know who I am- my truest most authentic self who has been in hiding behind so many masks and false selves. I have a psychiatrist, a psychologist, and now that we're separated, he agreed to marriage counseling which has been so powerful- key breakthroughs every session... Now who's using this thread as a second journal?! Yikes! I'm rambling on getting carried away!!

Aaah! Walt Whitman!! One of my absolute favorites! And again, I
I get the broader lesson and perspective on art... It's just like literature, duh! It's the expression of any thought, feeling or idea... How narrow to categorize it into just one! And woah... The reason why you choose not to take antidepressants. Omg!! I can't even fathom the level of insanity you endured as a little girl. The trauma and the drama!! Tears welled up in my eyes just to imagine that such horrific things like that could actually happen! My narcissistic overcontrolling OCPD mom seems like Carol Brady compared to yours (no offense). Despite the chaos and dysfunction, you strike me as a resilient, strong survivor who beat the odds and the statistics! You are holding your own with your cat despite the hell and torment you overcame from your childhood. I have no clue who you were talking about - the one that my avatar reminded you of? My curiousity is definitely peaked, though. My husband and I will be taking our two sons out to Kīlauea tomorrow
stay in cabins! Break from tradition and go on an adventure! I've been longing to explore our island as a family and consider this special time to unplug from the world - no cell phones and Internet access... Yay!! Will drive him nuts! But I'm stoked!!! Hope you have a wonderful thanksgiving and a great 4 days to exhale and do whatever brings you joy, fills your tank, refreshes and revitalizes your spirit!

Disclaimer: I have taken my sleeping meds, and am now writing. So, forgive me...

I love shutting off my cell phone. I'm sure that I'm the worst girlfriend in the world... I have no idea how I'm able to ever keep a relationship (unless men truly are that shallow and I'm just a pretty face). My boyfriend recently chastised me after showing up to his doorstep for Thanksgiving (which was brief, because I had to work at 11pm until 3am for Black Friday... Retail hell). The chastising was because I had been "ignoring his phone calls." The phone was simply in another place. I leave it at home sometimes because it's just annoying and tedious for me to respond to every pithy text or drunken phone call I receive. Still, I made the effort to see him despite my insane schedule... and his issues were about my phone. I think I'm going to sell it and get a land line. Cell phone's are stressful.

...Okay, sleeping meds are kicking in. I'll touch on your other subjects later, otherwise I'm sure to flub my message up with shoddy wording and possibly pass out onto the keyboard and accidentally hit "Submit" ending on a note like "aoeij38989389rn .!?"

Rurouni Kenshin is an anime, filled with a lot of great history. It's my favorite television (and comic book) series. It's English version is horrible though, so if you ever do look into it, watch it in Japanese with English subtitles. It's old.

This is the reply that I meant to send:

If your family loves you, then you are beautiful. By this, I don't mean the family which you came from, because creating life is entirely different from being born into one at random.
Still, I understand the shock (or at least, I can imagine). That weight is similar to mine, 5'2" at 105-115 (it fluctuates, probably because I've never actually stood naked on a scale and I've never owned one).

The idea of pregnancy actually frightens me... so when I hear of other women who have gone through the process, I see it as a tremendous feat. If you can pull that off, and then deal with medication, you're invincible. You can tackle any leftover weight, because you have already fought in the trenches and are well armed. However, if you're off to tackle pounds, make sure that it's in your own personal interest (don't lose weight for anyone but yourself). If that's no longer a concern, then that's even better. You had children. There should be no doubt that your family loves you... and love is beyond any and all physical boundaries.