what is the drug "Lithium" and what is it used for ???
407983
"A mood stabiliser medication used to treat bipolar disorder (manic - depression) used as a song title by kurt - cobain because he was bipolar.. works by changing levels of chemical glutamate... very toxic and deadly in cases of overdose.. can cause hand tremours."
456662
I hope you're on something else than just Wellbutrin. Wellbutrin is a stimulating anti-depressant and if you're bipolar it can trigger a manic episode very easily. I'm on Wellbutrin as well but also on an anti-seizure med which basically acts as a mood stabilizer. I've been on other meds though...Paxil, Clonazepam, Ativan, Lithium, Epival, Valproic Acid, Olanzapine, Risperdal, Lamactil.
1125376
LSD, lysergic acid diethylamide, is a hallucinogenic drug.  I have no idea if it is used in movies or  not but the FBI isn't going to use it because what good is it?  Since it causes hallucinations, anything experienced or talked about while on it would be subject to speculation.  Truth would not be obtained from using a drug that makes you see,  hear or think things that don't exist.\n\nLSD, or acid, is also notorious for causing "bad trips".  At the height of LSD usage, death was rampant due to people thinking they could perform super-human feats such as flying, stopping trains, etc.\n\nI worked ER and I remember one guy who was brought in because he saw "bugs" everywhere!  He was freaked out because he could see them covering every surface of the exam room, the doctor and me.  He got a good healthy dose of haldol and was then closely watched until the medication took effect.
716
here is one reason:\n\nLithium salts such as lithium carbonate (Li2CO3), lithium citrate, and lithium orotate are mood stabilizers used in the treatment of bipolar disorder, since unlike most other mood altering drugs, they counteract both mania and depression. Lithium can also be used to augment other antidepressant drugs. Useful amounts of Lithium for this use are only slightly lower than toxic amounts, so the blood levels of Lithium have to be carefully monitored during such a treatment.
1180950
Lithium is like two different medications:  low doses are pretty easy to manage and produce few side effects.  High doses are tricky to manage, require close monitoring to stay safe, and can cause side effects which make people want to consider alternative treatments. \nBecause lithium is very similar to sodium (a "salt"), taking lithium is like taking small salt tablets: it makes you thirsty. If you don’t drink more water than usual, you can have dry mouth. But when you do drink more, you will also urinate more. During the day this is usually not a problem, but some people have to get up at night to urinate when they did not need to before. Most people taking lithium will notice these effects somewhat, more so at higher doses.\n\nSome people can have nausea from lithium. The slow-release versions (Lithobid, Eskalith) are much less likely to cause this but can cost you more (not generic). After you have been taking lithium without nausea, becoming nauseous is a dangerous sign: your level may have become too high; get a lithium level if this does not get better, or if you get other lithium side effects.\n\nAs the dose and blood level go up, some other side effects can occur. Tremor (usually seen as shaky hands) is common. It can often be controlled with low doses of "propanolol", a blood pressure medication, if you and your doctor decide to continue lithium at this dose.\n\nWeight gain can occur with lithium. At first almost everyone will gain a few pounds as their body hangs on to more water (salt effect). Some people can continue to gain weight, though. This is much less of a problem with lithium than with valproate, both in how often it happens and how much weight is gained. Usually at this point we will switch medications, but some people can control the weight issue with regular exercise, wise eating, and avoiding alcohol entirely -- all good health habits anyway.\n\nSome people can have "edema", when your body has too much water, which shows up as ankle swelling or feeling "bloated". High doses can cause dry skin. At higher doses, loose stool or even diarrhea are frequently noted. Most of the other side effects you will see reported are uncommon.\n\nToo high a dose causes nausea, feeling very unsteady or "wobbly", slurring of speech, and confusion. If you notice these, call the on-call physician (she or he may arrange for a lithium blood test, and may lower your dose until the test shows what to do). It is dangerous to continue lithium if you have these side effects.\n\nAre there any serious side effects? (revised 5/05)\n\nVery high lithium levels, such as in overdose or continuing to take too much, can be fatal or cause kidney damage or other problems. Rarely a person can get very high levels when taking the right dose: this usually involves interactions with another medicine such as ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) or blood pressure medications; or becoming severely dehydrated (losing fluids through vomiting and/or diarrhea is the most common; if you are sick, taking no lithium until you can drink--and keep!-- plenty of water can avoid this); or making a mistake with the dosing.\n\nLithium can decrease thyroid hormone in about one out of 10 people taking lithium (common). The gland is generally okay and recovers its usual function if lithium is stopped; the only exception to this may be in families where there are relatives with thyroid problems. Thyroid levels need to be checked at least once a year while on lithium, but several times in the first year. (Some references recommend routine checks twice a year, and a few even more often than that; this is a matter for discussion with your doctor). We usually check your lithium level as well at that time.\n\nLong-term lithium treatment, for a decade or two, can lead to a steady lowering in kidney function. The higher the dose, the greater will be this risk.Presne  It is routine to monitor kidney function while people are taking
871856
If you do not have a history of seizures, a head injury, or an eating disorder, Wellbutrin might be what you are looking for. It generally does not cause weight gain or loss of libido. For me, it is a highly effective antidepressant with pretty much no side effects. I take 300 mg of Wellbutrin XL. I've been on various combinations of about 18 psych meds over the past 12 years or so. All the other antidepressants I have tried effected my libido significantly and that was the reason I eventually went off of each of them. The SSRI's (Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, Celexa, Lexapro, etc) & Effexor are notorious for having sexual side effects...which personally I think really sucks and is not fair! I know it's kind of embarrassing to talk about with the doctor, but that's really the best place to go with this dilemma. They hear this a lot.
490210
I'm not sure what drug you mean.....the only one that I can think of is Resperidal 3 mg., treatment for manic depression.  Normally this drug is used with Lithium or Valproate and does require monitoring.  As with any drug, there are side effects which should be discussed with your health care provider.  Hope this helps.
1094750
Numerous medications, particularly mood stabiizers such as lithium, valproate, and tegretol, are used to treat bipolar disorder.  Psychotherapy is also used. \n\nProfessional counselling and psychotherapy, sometimes with hypnosis, is often the treatment of choice for multiple personality disorder.   \n\nThe corner stone when treating schizophrenia is with antipsychotic drugs, or neuroleptics, such as chlorpromazine (Thorazine), clozapine (Clozaril), haloperidol (Haldol),  \nrisperidone (Risperdal), olanzapine (Zyprexa), quetiapine (Seroquel), aripiprazole (Abilify).  \n\nIn the past electroconvulsive therapy and drastic measures such as lobotomy were used to treat many mental illnesses.  In the past hospitalization was used more frequently than today, often involuntary hospitalization.  People were sometimes considered "lunatics" and placed in "asylums". \n\nThese links give some interesting information.
51596
try lamictal its an anticonvulsant has worked great for me few side effects if any thanks perfectsecret for elaborating a little more the rash does need to be watched out for i have been takeing lamictal for eight years and out of the fifty plus meds i have been through this has been the constant leveling mood stabilizer that i havent developed a resistance to . with depakote i had a lot of weight gain and felt very lethargic i also had to keep a check on my liver every six months. a co-op between a counsoler,psychriast,phycician, and pharmacy might be helpful good luck
84650
dont kill yourself or someone else with lithium pills call the suicide hotline please....
1184633
yes. it is used for treatment of the manic phase of bipolar disorder as well as for schizophrenia.\n\nhttp://www.seroquel.com/\n\nhttp://www.webmd.com/hw/schizophrenia/aa47298.asp
700174
I am bipolar. I have been on antidepressants for who knows how long. Bipolar is an illness that you don't get rid of. You have to learn how to handle it. You have to learn how to live with it. I am also on Lamictal, but I'm on Resperdol too! I take several medication that are used for depression, but they are also used for seizures too! The lamictal I'm using for my seizures. The resperdol I'm using for my bipolar. The other medication I use for my bipolar (depression) is seroquel. Sometimes you need to take two medications for one medication to work, but never take more than two medications for the same use. When you take more than two med. for the same use they confuse each other. Which can cause more problems with you and your depression. Medicine is not the only thing that is going to help you though. You also have to do some of the work yourself. Actually, you have to do about 65%-70% of it. The medicine just relaxes you and your mind, so that you can hopefully do the other 65%-70%.
711031
Everyone is different and what these do to people or for people is all different. I speak from experience with many family members who suffer from various forms of depression and with bipolar.  Those are various drugs used to treat depression and bipolar.  Be very careful mixing them or taking them if not under doctors care. Zoloft is more for typical depression, while risperdal is usually given to someone who needs help sleep or other things. Depakote is typically used for bipolar, originally used for epilepsy. Lithium is last resort. \nBut do a lot of research and one place is the National Institiute of Mental Health.  http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/medicate.cfm
412489
Everyone is different. You and your doctor may have to try several different ones before you can hit on one that works for you. And remember, what works good for you, may not work as well for someone else. Alot of these meds. will make you gain some weight,  But remember, This is an ilness. Once you start on the medication that has been prescribed for you, DO NOT STOP TAKING IT BECAUSE YOU FEEL GOOD!!!! That is one of the biggest mistakes i have seen by patients over the years. They stop taking the meds because they feel good, and believe they NO LONGER NEED THEM! And what happens? They crash & burn and end up inthe hospital..... Ask your doctor about lithium, Paxil, Depekote,  Good Luck!
1063592
its a cns depressor. In other words, anti-anxiety drug.
1152501
It is supposed to help fight depression. It is also used for OCD and bulemia and panic attacks.
608982
Hair loss in the course of lithium treatment.\nYassa R, Ananth J.\n\nTwo cases of hair loss attributed to lithium therapy are presented. In one case, lithium did not have to be discontinued, and in the other, hair loss led to noncompliance. This side effect is usually benign. Thyroid function tests should always be performed to exclude hypothyroidism as the underlying factor for this symptom.