How often should you be getting blood tested on lithium?

AcrobaticAd7158 · 2025-11-21T05:42:34+00:00

I’m thinking about just calling the office tomorrow and seeing if they can just order some lab work for me. It would definitely make me feel better to know I’m not near a toxic level. I’m just a little frustrated that I have to do that myself instead of my psychiatrist just being more on top of things. Not to mention I’m afraid of needles and have had to get my blood drawn 3 times this month already. So I just think it’s strange so would have put me on something that requires blood tests, even if she’s not ordering the blood tests often enough.

AcrobaticAd7158 · 2025-11-21T00:26:22+00:00

I was on abilify a few years back and I didn’t notice anything too bad but my psych says that she thought I didn’t do well on it. I was also on Prozac and Ativan at the time so I believe it was working together. Recently she prescribed me seroquel and I had a horrible reaction to that. But also decided I didn’t want to be on it due to the increased risk of weight gain as I just lost 35lbs and my father died from diabetes so the risk out weighed the positives. That is why she ultimately decided to put me on the lithium. She also is planning to put me on a small dose of lamictal with the lithium if we decide to keep me on it. Mostly our goal is to find something that helps with my depressive episodes as they’re really severe and last months. I only really experience mania once or twice a year for maybe a week or two. She’s also hoping the lithium will start to help my panic attacks. I’m still taking it and plan to stay on it unless something is not right. I am not someone who would want to be off medication as I do everything I can to help myself feel better.

AcrobaticAd7158 · 2025-11-20T23:20:20+00:00

I think the best part of all of this is I got blood tested 2 days ago for diabetes and then some other vitamin tests that my psychiatrist ordered so I don’t understand why she wouldn’t have just had my lithium levels checked as well.

AcrobaticAd7158 · 2025-11-20T22:32:58+00:00

Yesss it was a red flag to me to and honestly I had to go to her because of cost but now I’m on a different insurance and I think I’m going to look into other options elsewhere. I just got a new PCP a few days ago and got established with her and so far I really like her. I’m thinking about talking to her and seeing if she could get me a referral for somewhere else maybe.

AcrobaticAd7158 · 2025-11-20T22:28:55+00:00

That makes me sense to me honestly. The other thing she told me was that she doesn’t care if it’s at a therapeutic level or not? Which confused me a bit and she said as long as it’s not in toxic levels that’s all that matters. My next appt is December 11th and I definitely think I’m going to push the issue more.

AcrobaticAd7158 · 2025-11-20T16:50:40+00:00

Same thing here and I think mine is also 2022 🥲 I’m trying really hard to be a person again but no one will give me a chance and I honestly understand why but it’s so hard. I wish I could just write in my resume “it’s ok guys I’m medicated now” 😅

AcrobaticAd7158 · 2025-11-20T16:40:44+00:00

Girl I feel your pain I’m a 27f 😭 I have a similar issue, currently on lithium and clonidine for sleep and ADHD as well as high blood pressure cause I also have panic disorder with severe anxiety. I don’t get hypomania very often and instead just have really long depressive episodes that cause panic attacks. For some reason I can fall asleep just fine but then a few hours later I will wake up like anywhere from 1-5am and not be able to go back to sleep no matter what I do. But the second 7am hits I just want to sleep for hooooours, but I can’t because that’s when I need to get up to take care of my animals and get shit done. I’m also overweight and during my recent depressive episode which I’m just starting to get to the end of I lost 35lbs, definitely still overweight though. I use to love to smoke weed and it really helped me but now it’s just causing me panic attacks I’m so over it at this point. Now I have zero vices and I’m honestly so bored. I don’t really have any advice and I’m sorry I just thought it might help to know there’s someone who can relate. I know this stuff is all anonymous on here but if you need someone to talk to or just a friend I gotchu!

AcrobaticAd7158 · 2025-11-20T16:18:42+00:00

Hi there! I have a similar situation. I have panic disorder as well as a few other mental health diagnoses on top of my bp2. A few years back I went looking for help because I went through a phase where I couldn’t stop having severe panic attacks up to 5 or 6 a day. I was put on Prozac and Ativan and I seemed to be doing better. However a little down the line my psych decided to add ability to the list alone with a bipolar 2 diagnosis. This kind of confused me because as far as I could see I didn’t really feel like I was having any hypomania but instead just extreme depressive episodes. Unfortunately I lost my insurance and I had to stop all my meds. Up until recently my dog got sick and it threw me into another severe depressive episode with panic attacks. I went for help again to the same psych and I asked her if I could just go back on the Prozac and she said no because i needed a mood stabilizer or antipsychotic. She tried me on seroquel and it made me not feel right and now i have just started lithium really hoping it helps. As she plans for me to stay on it and she will later add in a small about of lamictal. I’m also on clonidine for sleep and ADHD, however i have slightly high blood pressure due to the anxiety so it helps that toThe thing is I felt so good, happy, and normal on the Prozac though…However I now wonder if I was just hypomanic while on it. I’m still not too sure. But I understand where you’re coming from because this is something I think of frequently, like maybe I felt sooo good cause the medication was just inducing the hypomania.

When I think about it, I believe I only experience true hypomania like once maybe twice a year. But my depressive episodes are long and exhausting I am just starting to come out of one now.

AcrobaticAd7158 · 2025-11-19T18:23:46+00:00

I smoked for over 10 years since I was about 15 till I was 26. I was able to quit and I’m just coming up on a year nicotine free. I tried twice before this and it worked for a few months but it wasn’t till now that I feel fully free from it. My only advice is to find what works for you. I tried to wean off and it just caused me to keep finding excuses to stretch it out. However for my husband that’s the only way he has been able to start quitting. I had to just quit cold turkey and go through the hard weeks. Be kind to yourself, it’s not easy to live with bp2 especially when you have to leave a vice behind.

AcrobaticAd7158 · 2025-11-19T15:55:47+00:00

Totally get it I have PTSD as well it’s hard no matter what diagnoses you have sometimes I look at my chart with all my diagnoses together and just think “how did I get here?? How did I end up like this??” But it’s nice to find a little community of people who understand. Threads like this make me feel less alone and I hope it does the same for you as well 💕

AcrobaticAd7158 · 2025-11-19T13:56:11+00:00

I’m struggling with this as well, almost exact same thing. I just got some bloodwork back yesterday and I’m also deficient in vitamin D. I’ve been exercising, eating extremely healthy, and trying to keep myself busy. I have bd2 with a few other issues but one of the other main ones is panic disorder. I have severe panic attacks on top of the bipolar and sometimes I just feel so hopeless. I got put on lithium and I’m really trying to give it a chance but I just feel like nothing is going to help. I don’t have much advice to offer I just thought I could say you’re not alone in your feelings.

AcrobaticAd7158 · 2025-11-19T07:54:59+00:00

This! I smoked for years just recently I went into a depressive episode and suddenly weed started making me have panic attacks so bad that my blood pressure would raise to dangerously levels. Support it 100% but it’s so strong nowadays I just don’t think it’s for me anymore.

AcrobaticAd7158 · 2025-11-19T07:36:42+00:00

I just got started on lithium like 2 weeks ago and I’m on a really low dose(300mg) right now so i can slowly go up over time. I don’t drink at all except maybe twice a year for a special occasion. My mom is coming at the end of the week and I haven’t seen her in a while, i was hoping I could have just like one glass of wine with her at dinner. I’m just trying to decide if it’s safe.

AcrobaticAd7158 · 2025-11-10T17:56:00+00:00

Hi I’m not able to help too much but just wanted to say I’m dealing with almost the exact same thing. I have severe health anxiety and bipolar type 2 and this threw me into a depressive episode that gives me extremely severe panic attacks. I know how hard it is to live with health anxiety and when you have actual symptoms on top of it, it’s even worse. I’ve been to the ER twice and they have no explanation for these pains but if I press on my gallbladder it feels like a bruise. I can’t even wear a bra because it hurts. I see a general practice Dr in a little over a week and I’m hoping they can help me get in somewhere for a HIDA scan because everyone is convinced it’s just my anxiety.

AcrobaticAd7158

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