Well......here we are 9 months into the lithium treatment and I have to say I'm quite surprised at the effect it's had on my bipolar disorder symptoms.
A lot of people think that the medication eradicates the symptoms - let me tell you - it does NOT. There's no pill or drug or treatment that will ever take the problems away. The medication only serves to lengthen the time in between episodes and hopefully lessen the severity of them when they hit. And they do still hit. The mood swings still happen but the effect of them is not as intense.
For example, I can feel a depressed phase come on and it will stick with me for 2-3 days now and while I'm not crying and despondent I'm still down and depressed. But the medication has worked to the point where they depressed phases no longer carry suicidal thoughts or tendencies with them. In reverse, I can also feel a manic phase coming - which is happening right now - and as I've said before, most cases of bipolar disorder find the individual actually welcoming those episodes. I do - I tend to be more productive, more "on top of things" and more energetic when I'm in a manic phase. And as with the other phase, fortunately the medication has limited the far-reaching effects of bipolar disorder in a manic episode, which include making irrational and sometimes dangerous decisions.
The one bad effect that I have had from the lithium is the addition of about 40 pounds onto my frame this year. (See my other journal/blog, The KP One Year Project to read about that) My doctor did tell me that would happen,. but she didn't say how much. Guess she couldn't have known but I'm miserable about my weight right now. So, I'm doing something to counteract that. Dangerously, earlier today I considered going off my meds to see what would happen - it was one of the triggers that made me realize a manic episode is coming. But I doubt I'll follow through with that thought process....
Anyway that's where we are today! Thanks for reading.
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