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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 13 of 13. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by jaby on July 18, 2002, at 22:01:53
For those of you that have had success augmenting an antidepressant with lithium, what antidepressant do you use and what doses do you use of each?
Posted by Squiggles on July 19, 2002, at 7:43:39
In reply to LITHIUM AUGMENTATION: What AD do you use?, posted by jaby on July 18, 2002, at 22:01:53
Hi jaby,
I took a look at the net; and it seems that
tricyclics and Celexa are used with lithium,
with more caution on the tricyclics. Here is
one article I found which I thought was
good:
http://www.rnzcgp.org.nz/nzfp/ISSUES/Aug2000/focus_fernando.htm
Squiggles
Posted by wcfrench on July 19, 2002, at 16:28:42
In reply to Re: LITHIUM AUGMENTATION: What AD do you use?, posted by Squiggles on July 19, 2002, at 7:43:39
I think any serotonin-working medicine can be augmented by using Lithium. They say in the article that the most common is prozac, but there are several other SSRIs (including Celexa) that fall into the same category. More is better!
-Charlie
Posted by jsarirose on July 19, 2002, at 17:45:48
In reply to Re: LITHIUM AUGMENTATION: What AD do you use?, posted by wcfrench on July 19, 2002, at 16:28:42
> I think any serotonin-working medicine can be augmented by using Lithium. They say in the article that the most common is prozac, but there are several other SSRIs (including Celexa) that fall into the same category. More is better!
> -Charlie
It is also a common first try drug to augment MAOIs. There aren't too many drugs that are sanctioned to take with MAOIs, but Lithium is safe. I tried it and it was helpful, but it made my acne much worse as a side effect. I believe 600 - 1200mg is a therapeutic dose. Some people do fine on less however, especially if it's augmenting something else.-Jessica
(Hi Squiggles)
Posted by cybercafe on July 20, 2002, at 8:33:11
In reply to Re: LITHIUM AUGMENTATION: What AD do you use?, posted by wcfrench on July 19, 2002, at 16:28:42
what blood levels of lithium did you guys have and did you find it had any side effects? and were they temporary or long term?
Posted by jsarirose on July 20, 2002, at 14:22:31
In reply to Re: LITHIUM AUGMENTATION: side effects?, posted by cybercafe on July 20, 2002, at 8:33:11
>
> what blood levels of lithium did you guys have and did you find it had any side effects? and were they temporary or long term?
Sorry, can't help much. The first time I took it (years ago without Parnate) I don't remember my levels. I did have minor hand tremors, but acceptable, and slight acne, but acceptable. Mostly I stopped because it didn't help my depression.When I took it as a Parnate augmentor I took a very low dose. My pdoc said it wasn't necessary to get levels taken as the dose was too low to be toxic and only a low dose was needed for augmentation. I didn't have any of the tremor side effect but I was really worried about increasing my acne which is already terrible from the Parnate & other meds.
-Jessica
Posted by Squiggles on July 20, 2002, at 14:40:30
In reply to Re: LITHIUM AUGMENTATION: side effects?, posted by cybercafe on July 20, 2002, at 8:33:11
Hi,
I think my levels have been consistently
between as low as 0.5 and 1.2 -- i know they
vary wildly according to many circumstances;
i wish i had a portable li detector (like
a diabetic meter) - i have even proposed
manufacturing one with some people on the net
and written to a med. instrument co. to make one,
but not enough people take li i guess.I am always vigilant about the level and it is
the one thing that bothers me about li - i think
there have been a couple of times i went over
and got sick.Squiggles
(hi Jessica)
Posted by cybercafe on July 21, 2002, at 1:45:56
In reply to Re: LITHIUM AUGMENTATION: side effects?, posted by Squiggles on July 20, 2002, at 14:40:30
hello my fellow Canadian :)so Squiggles what type of side effects did you have and do you know what levels they corresponded to ?
cheers
Posted by jsarirose on July 21, 2002, at 1:50:35
In reply to Re: LITHIUM AUGMENTATION: - Squiggles, posted by cybercafe on July 21, 2002, at 1:45:56
(So Squiggles, Cybercafe and I seem to always be involved in the same topics on the same forums. Some day when one of us is wealthy we'll have to meet!)
-Jessica (jsarirose)
Posted by cybercafe on July 21, 2002, at 2:00:10
In reply to Re: LITHIUM AUGMENTATION: - Squiggles, posted by jsarirose on July 21, 2002, at 1:50:35
> (So Squiggles, Cybercafe and I seem to always be involved in the same topics on the same forums. Some day when one of us is wealthy we'll have to meet!)
> -Jessica (jsarirose)what do you mean "when?" :)
If i didn't think my chances of getting another doc this good were 1/1000 i would have taken off to europe months ago
(i wonder what the lack of patients from france says about their health system?)
Posted by Squiggles on July 21, 2002, at 13:52:09
In reply to Re: LITHIUM AUGMENTATION: - Squiggles, posted by cybercafe on July 21, 2002, at 1:45:56
Only vaguely:
- dizziness, headache, heaviness in the body,
and at one time, it really felt like meningitis,
with flu like symptoms, tremor;- presently i have had a gastro and white tongue
stripe problem and dry mucous membranes for
a while, but that may be something else;- one time when i thought it was very high i went
to the emergency and was found at 1.2 but the
technician told me if i felt it was high, to listen
to by body and act accordingly;- the bloods are only taken once a year, so the
fluctuations are more frequent that your gas
tank and are not measured;Squiggles
Posted by Squiggles on July 21, 2002, at 13:53:29
In reply to Re: LITHIUM AUGMENTATION: - Squiggles, posted by jsarirose on July 21, 2002, at 1:50:35
hee! yeah let's build a li detector and
blast Eli Lilly off the map , lol!Squiggles
Posted by Dave1 on July 22, 2002, at 14:34:42
In reply to LITHIUM AUGMENTATION: What AD do you use?, posted by jaby on July 18, 2002, at 22:01:53
HI,
I used the tricyclic anafranil - 250mg. and got up to 1500mg lithobid. It worked for a couple of days, but then stopped. Now I'm trying nortriptyline - 100 mg but this combo isn't working much. I think you can try lithium with any anti-depressant but classically they have been used with the tricyclics. Atleast thats what my pdoc told me.
I think would like to next try pindolol with an SSRI. I haven't seen much about it on doctor bob, but have read some about working in research protocols.
bye,
Dave
This is the end of the thread.
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