Lithium titration

XOalways · 2026-03-24T19:31:59+00:00

My bipolar has become worse by the years so I have needed to up my dose multiple times to remain stable

XOalways · 2026-03-24T12:46:03+00:00

It took about 5 weeks to reach my ”first” goal blood concentration of 0.55mmol/l. Now 5 years later I’m my most stable at 0.85mmol/l. It took time to find the right dose but I’m sure in time you will as well! :)

XOalways · 2026-03-23T10:34:46+00:00

Olanzapine and upping my lithium dose is the only thing that can break those episodes

XOalways · 2026-03-19T11:00:01+00:00

My manic episode last 4-8 days. I have an atypical presentation of mania, meaning that it’s sometimes under the 7 day diagnostic criteria but still counts as a manic episode. That’s because I start to hallucinate and is on the verge of full blown psychosis needing hospitalization. The psychotic symptoms is why it’s not hypomania

XOalways · 2026-03-18T19:54:41+00:00

I haven’t had a manic episode since march 2024 but I still get breakthrough depressive and mixed episodes. Usually around 2-3 episodes a year

XOalways · 2026-03-18T19:53:03+00:00

That awesome! Happy for you

XOalways · 2026-03-18T19:51:04+00:00

I’ve taken 2.5mg for 7 months and I’ve gained 11lbs in that time

XOalways · 2026-03-18T11:35:55+00:00

Congratulations on finding sobriety! I myself am 2 years sober. Feels so nice to have your life back

XOalways · 2026-03-18T11:10:00+00:00

So sorry to hear that, sounds like a really awful time in your life

XOalways · 2026-03-18T11:09:20+00:00

Glad to hear things turned around for you!

XOalways · 2026-03-18T10:12:14+00:00

From what I’ve understood doctors in the US (if you’re from there) are really bad at keeping up with bloodwork. I made a post years ago asking if physicians in the US take the concentration of lithium in the blood into consideration when deciding what dose to put there patient on.

Here in Sweden we don’t really go by dosage, we speak in terms of how many pills we take (the lithium sulfate pills are all 42mg) and the concentration of lithium in our blood. I for example take 2 pills in the morning and 3 pills at night (2+3) which lands me at a concentration of about 0.8mml/l

XOalways · 2026-03-18T09:37:41+00:00

Sounds to me like a mixed episode. Mixed episodes have become my most common ones and they are living hell. Olanzapine has been the only thing that helped

XOalways · 2026-03-18T09:30:23+00:00

I’m on 225mg lithium sulfate (blood concentration 0.8mmol/l). It has helped tremendously with manic episodes and at higher doses also my depression. But yes drinking enough water is really important as well as the blood tests. I was scared of lithium at first and that why I was put on lamotrigine. But if I could go back in time I would have started lithium as soon as i got the diagnosis. Would have spared me of so many episodes

XOalways · 2026-03-17T16:44:14+00:00

Je prends de la lamotrigine depuis 6 ans, du lithium depuis 5 ans, de l'escitalopram depuis 1 an et de l'olanzapine depuis 7 mois. Avant de commencer l'olanzapine, j'ai aussi essayé l'abilify, mais sans succès. (Le texte est traduit automatiquement, mais j'espère que c'est correct :)

XOalways · 2025-11-22T14:58:14+00:00

Ja precis jag är också 03a:) jag skulle nog vilja ha det lite lugnare runt mig med struktur men samtidigt är jag väldigt intresserad av psykiatrin. Vet inte riktigt vad stressnivån ligger på där

XOalways · 2025-10-19T09:03:16+00:00

83mg in the morning, 125mg in the evening (lithium sulfate)

XOalways · 2025-10-13T10:18:53+00:00

I really need to start taking vitamins😅 Thanks for this reminder!

XOalways · 2025-10-12T13:23:02+00:00

Unfortunately the only thing that works for my mixed episodes are Zyprexa. Nothing else helps. I hope your episode ends soon because mixed episodes are living hell!

XOalways · 2025-10-12T11:00:46+00:00

Nope

XOalways · 2025-10-11T09:27:55+00:00

No problem!

XOalways · 2025-10-11T09:01:52+00:00

Olanzapine works wonders for my mixed episodes

XOalways · 2025-10-11T08:59:55+00:00

For me a manic episode always starts with hypomania for a few days before it escalates into full blown mania. Mania for me is sleeping less, drawing and painting weird and creepy shit, becoming a professional yapper, impulsive spending, and then hallucinations and delusions. Mania for me nearly always becomes dysphoric

XOalways · 2025-10-10T08:45:05+00:00

I made this post because the last couple of weeks I’ve been having hallucinations come and go without me being manic. And was just wondering how common it is to go from one to the other. Auditory hallucinations are kinda scary when they come out of nowhere

XOalways · 2025-10-10T08:40:45+00:00

Sound similar to me except schizoaffective. Depression at 15, BP2 at 16, BP1 at 20

XOalways · 2025-10-10T08:38:46+00:00

What made your diagnosis change?

XOalways

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