Lithium and Depression: What Users Say

• Pau...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• March 13, 2020

For Bipolar Disorder "I have been on lithium for fifteen years, and I can honestly say it didn't help all that much, but I stayed on it because it's supposed to be the 'Gold Standard' treatment for Bipolar Disorder. Now that I'm being weaned off from it, I can see that it was actually making me worse. I was on 1200 mg, and I'm down to 600 mg and feeling much better. Gone is my depression, my anxiety, my diarrhea, my lack of concentration, etc. etc. etc. I wish I had known this years ago. I am going off from it now as my kidneys will fail if I stay on it much longer. My previous Psych. Doc. would not use it as he saw way too many kidney failures at about the 15th-20th years while he was a resident. Please know that this drug is not without dire consequences. Eventually, in time, your kidneys will fail. If you don't believe it, see a kidney specialist. Don't let your doctor pooh-pooh this statistic. Please make an informed decision and do what is right for you."

• Pop...
• January 13, 2020

For Bipolar Disorder "I have been on lithium for a year, and it's made me depressed. I don't feel joy or love, and I am feeling disabled. I hope my psychiatrist does something to help me as I'm suicidal. Nothing works. I'm like a zombie."

• ow7...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 22, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "After trying Seroquel XR and Lamictal combined together with no effect on my bipolar depression, my doctor started to doubt my bipolar diagnosis. Then, he added lithium carbonate extended release two times a day. Within two weeks, I began to feel significant relief from my depression, suicidal thoughts, and mood swings. And with each day, my functioning and symptoms improve more and more. Lithium medicine saved my life and gave me hope for living a normal life when I never thought I would have one again."

• Anonymous
• October 30, 2011

For Bipolar Disorder "I've tried almost all of the Bipolar Meds available out there - Geodon, Depakote, Lamictal, Seroquel, Zyprexa, etc. All of these made me stupid and/or fat and were not very effective for my depression. This past year I sunk to a new low of serious depression - I told my PDoc that I need something different because I was a lifeless, delusional, an anxious zombie and was suicidal. His secretary said she would forward the message to him - 3 times. No reply from him at all - I had to find a new doctor and he put me on 300mg Lithium (went up to 600mg 2 weeks later) - about 1 month into my new treatment, it feels like a switch was flipped. This is the best medicine I've ever had and I hope it continues - not many options left for me."

• cru...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• January 13, 2013

For Bipolar Disorder "I have been taking lithium since 1983. It has kept me stable, but I miss the highs. My creative side has disappeared, I can't concentrate, and I lose interest in things. I have been told I must take lithium for the rest of my life."

• Ava...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 7, 2018

For Bipolar Disorder "Lithium has been very helpful, and it has really helped the depression side of bipolar II. No more suicidal thoughts (which no other medicine has this benefit!), and quality of life has gone up. It has stabilized my mood and the hypo-mania with severe depression (psychotic features). I have been on lithium for about 5 months, and the benefits started to show after 3 months of being on it. If you are starting this, be patient, results are not immediate."

• EMV...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 26, 2017

For Bipolar Disorder "I have been on lithium for about 1.5 months, along with lamotrigine. As soon as one week, I could tell a difference in myself. I was finally starting to feel like my 'normal' self. At the time of starting these medications, I was easily agitated and would get angry at everyone over simple things. I found I was grinding my teeth a lot, trying to cope with my feelings. I was also becoming reclusive, since everything bothered me, I tried to avoid people and things that bothered me, so I would 'hide' in my bedroom, and then the depression set in. So far, these two medications have helped wonderfully and have changed my life!"

• Tam...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 27, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "I have been taking lithium for 11 months for bipolar depression. I do not want to interact with other people, and I feel like I'm dead. I have gained like 20 to 25 lbs. All I want to do is eat, and then I'm so depressed from gaining so much weight. I'm talking to the psychiatrist this week, I'm going to try to get on a different medication. All I want to do is sleep and not get dressed."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 5, 2012

For Borderline Personality Disorder "Turned me into a zombie and made me gain at least 60 pounds. Lithium completely numbed out my emotions until I could no longer function. I was on it for 3 years and nobody would take me off of it because I have adverse reactions to most mood stabilizers that could replace it, and they viewed me having no moods at all as better than having symptomatic Borderline Personality Disorder. I barely have any memories from the time I was on lithium. I was eventually taken off it because it started driving me into rage."

• abo...
• June 9, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "I've never been to a psychiatrist. However, I've had a baby die, and I've been through the worst grief and denial of grief. I've been deeply sad and broken. I've shut down emotions out of fear of being unemployable and not being able to care for my other children. This 30 years compressed into a deadly human, edgy and angry. So I started taking over-the-counter lithium, 5 mg, and felt my brain swirl into a fluid, relaxed state, like a lava lamp or shimmering mirages over a landscape. Then I bought 50 g of lithium chloride, a simple salt of lithium, like sodium chloride. I put 10-20 mg of this in a carafe of water and drink it throughout the day. The water tastes very good. To close this, I want to make it clear to everyone that lithium is an essential element that everyone needs. If you don't get enough from your environment, you will have lithium deficiency. The symptoms of lithium deficiency are bipolar, depression, suicidal thoughts, and suicide; rage, frustration, etc."

• Do...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 8, 2021

For Bipolar Disorder "Lithium made my hair fall out and made me so depressed, more than before. The depression started to lighten after a month, but I still felt agitated and down. I was puffy and gained weight, too. I am so mad I took this drug. It also apparently destroys the kidney and the thyroid, so hypothyroidism is a very real result, kind of expected in time. Depakote is the same. Do not take this drug."

• Jen...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 28, 2013

For Bipolar Disorder "Currently on Lithicarb 500 mg taken as 2 x 250 mg tablets taken 1 morning and one night. Was bumped up to 750 mg but reduced back after severe dry skin and digestive discomfort as side effects. Was finally put on lithium after previously being misdiagnosed with just depression and general anxiety and put on Venlafaxine, which exacerbated my mania...hence was finally correctly diagnosed with bipolar. Suicidal thoughts are now minimal and I got over the need to pee excessively, which comes with increasing your fluid intake after first starting my meds. Now I am 4 months in, and I have gained weight, but that doesn't bother me as much as my loss of creativity and general lack of motivation. On the plus side, this doesn't bother me as much as it should."

• gc2...
• September 22, 2010

For Bipolar Disorder "Lithium brought me out of a year-long rapid-cycling episode that almost destroyed my marriage, my work, and my life. I think it's an excellent 'first aid' medicine for bipolar disorder. After about 3 months of feeling amazing relief, I felt emotionally flat-lined, so I worked with my doctor and he reduced my lithium dose to 600 mg and added 150 mg of Lamictal, 1.5 mg of clonazepam to soothe anxiety, and finally 20 mg of Adderall to combat persistent mild depression. Work with your doctor to find your perfect combination! I've been on this particular mix for about 2 years. It's great, but I will always keep the lithium in. It's the core of what works for me."

• Pet...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 19, 2020

For Depression "Been on lithium for about 4-5 months for depression. I feel like a zombie, as my emotions are completely flat, and I shuffle when I walk. I have lost all my muscle strength and feel exhausted all the time. I had high hopes for this medication as I have failed on all of the SSRIs and atypical mood stabilizers I've been prescribed. The psychiatrist thinks I have developed a condition known as tardive dysphoria. This condition develops as a result of chronic treatment with antidepressants. I have been on one SSRI or another for 25 years. The symptoms of tardive dysphoria are anxiety, irritability, depression, apathy, uneasiness, restlessness, and dissatisfaction with self and life. The word tardive indicates that the dysphoria is late onset. My life has been a living nightmare since this started over 2 years ago. Therefore, I was so hopeful that lithium would give me my life back again."

• Pet...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 19, 2020

For Depression "Been on lithium for about 4-5 months for depression. I feel like a zombie, as my emotions are completely flat, and I shuffle when I walk. I have lost all my muscle strength and feel exhausted all the time. I had high hopes for this medication as I have failed on all of the SSRIs and atypical mood stabilizers I've been prescribed. The psychiatrist thinks I have developed a condition known as tardive dysphoria. This condition develops as a result of chronic treatment with antidepressants. I have been on one SSRI or another for 25 years. The symptoms of tardive dysphoria are anxiety, irritability, depression, apathy, uneasiness, restlessness, and dissatisfaction with self and life. The word tardive indicates that the dysphoria is late onset. My life has been a living nightmare since this started over 2 years ago. Therefore, I was so hopeful that lithium would give me my life back again."

• Bip...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 18, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "After being diagnosed with bipolar 2 in 2003, I have taken Lamotrigine, Divalproex Sodium, Clonazepam, Risperidone, Olanzapine, Abilify, and more recently Seroquel. I wish you the same luck with finding the best treatment plan, and even though Lithium didn't work for me, it may work very well for you. I recently tried Lithium, and by the end of the first week, I felt nauseated and had developed diarrhea at 150 mg. Increasing the dose to 300 mg worsened these side effects, and I felt like I had a bad case of the flu that caused me to go back to bed several days after awakening, and depression set in. Increasing to 450 mg caused the most severe depression. After speaking with my doctor, we discussed decreasing to 300 mg and then trying to maintain that, but unfortunately, the depressive thoughts didn't end, even after reducing to 150 mg for the final week for a total of a six-week trial. It wasn't until about three weeks after I stopped Lithium that I broke out of the depression and feel better."

• Flu...
• October 11, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "I was diagnosed at 23 with bipolar 1 disorder with psychotic features and placed on lithium almost immediately. I felt improvement and my mania subsided. It works great for mania and mixed episodes, however, in my case, not so much for depression. Lithium has saved my life. It takes away the issues of suicidal thoughts and suicidal ideation in between episodes for me and racing thoughts as well. It's about as stable as stable is for me considering having bipolar disorder. I am now 26. I had to stop it due to it having damaged my thyroid. Even so, I have decided after almost 6 months off it and having tried every medication available that I would rather have whatever time stable with this medication and risk that than the destructive episodes. The side effects I initially experienced are: light hand tremors, nausea, diarrhea. These go away. The long-term side effects I have are: emotional blunting, lethargy, increased thirst, more frequent urination, and cravings for salt."

• Ano...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 11, 2020

Lithium for Bipolar Disorder "I took lithium carbonate for 5 months for bipolar disorder. It was a terrible experience. Although it did stop manic episodes, it put me into the darkest depression of my life. I was hopeful and really wanted it to work by just taking a mood stabilizer. Unfortunately, it caused really bad acne, thirst all the time, dry mouth, severe depression, no motivation, no joy, and the worst memory problems I ever had in my life. I felt like I had amnesia. My brain hurt every day on this drug, I had headaches and brain pain, terrible brain fog. It made me have suicidal thoughts 24/7. Very dangerous drug for me. I switched to a low dose of risperidone, and my depression is completely gone, and motivation and excitement for the future came back thanks to risperidone."

• Ano...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 11, 2020

Lithium for Bipolar Disorder "I took lithium carbonate for 5 months for bipolar disorder. It was a terrible experience. Although it did stop manic episodes, it put me into the darkest depression of my life. I was hopeful and really wanted it to work by just taking a mood stabilizer. Unfortunately, it caused really bad acne, thirst all the time, dry mouth, severe depression, no motivation, no joy, and the worst memory problems I ever had in my life. I felt like I had amnesia. My brain hurt every day on this drug, I had headaches and brain pain, terrible brain fog. It made me have suicidal thoughts 24/7. Very dangerous drug for me. I switched to a low dose of risperidone, and my depression is completely gone, and motivation and excitement for the future came back thanks to risperidone."

• Fre...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 23, 2020

For Depression "Seemed to work for a week, and at 2 weeks in, then it stopped. Gradually became more depressed than I ever was, developed anxiety, and became very irritable. Got worse the higher the dose (2 increases, 200-600 mg & 600-800 mg). Nasty side effects, felt flat, not happy or sad, but still 'low.' Couldn't laugh or cry. Awful acne. Reading other reviews, I thought people were vain, but it's that bad-whole face, neck, arms, and chest to the point of people asking, what is wrong with your skin! I also had tremors, double vision, weight gain, feeling like you're not there, slow mental function, memory loss, ringing in ears, and insomnia. Still having side effects 5 days after stopping-only on it for 9 weeks!"

• Fla...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 7, 2014

For Bipolar Disorder "I have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and I have been on lithium for a week, and it has instantly turned me into a lifeless zombie! I have no feeling except depression now. I have no energy to do anything. I've tried Lamictal and Depakote, but they didn't calm the anger outbursts. The only plus is I have lost 5 lbs! I'm at the point of giving up. I've previously been on Zoloft, Prozac, Paxil, and Lexapro...all separately. These worked for depression to an extent but not for the mania."

• Kyl...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 25, 2016

For Depression "Was on it for over a month. Made me extremely sad, much more than usual, and caused some constant, very scary suicidal ideation. When I went off it, I felt better, (as better as I can be), immediately."

• Dan...
• January 25, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "I have bipolar 2 disorder, and my psychiatrist prescribed me lithium. I have already been on antipsychotics, but we were intending on switching medication. I also have PTSD. Day 5 on lithium, and it has noticeably made my PTSD and associated 'mental pain' far worse and far more distracting and disabling. The effects of this are reduced motivation, increased tiredness, loss of smooth social skills, and impaired cognitive functions. It’s not as severe as you may think, I can still function, but it has made living less pleasant and harder to get things done. I also experienced hand tremors for a few minutes, which were unpleasant. Overall, I would say it has an emotional numbing effect that detaches you from feeling things strongly, so it is more difficult to function and interact with life. If you experience mania and say you experience happiness far too strongly, it could be helpful, but other medications (antipsychotics) are better (in my experience)."

• Hum...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 18, 2019

For Depression "Taking this med tells me a bit more about my mental illness. Being diagnosed as bipolar 2, which I absolutely don’t believe anymore. After Li, my doctor prescribed me this after a long trial with lamictal that didn’t work. I was on lamictal for 11 months, and it never really helped with depression. I have been on 300 mg ER lithium for 3 weeks, and then 450 for 5 days. Made me hypersomniac, horrible brain fog, more sensitive to thoughts, depressed, no motivation, and always tired! Anxiety and occasional panic attacks still linger. I am already tapering down to 225 mg. I don’t think this will work out. It makes me feel flat and just as or more depressed than being unmedicated. Mood stabilizers don’t work for me. At this point, I’d rather try an antipsychotic over Depabloat."

• Hum...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 18, 2019

For Depression "Taking this med tells me a bit more about my mental illness. Being diagnosed as bipolar 2, which I absolutely don’t believe anymore. After Li, my doctor prescribed me this after a long trial with lamictal that didn’t work. I was on lamictal for 11 months, and it never really helped with depression. I have been on 300 mg ER lithium for 3 weeks, and then 450 for 5 days. Made me hypersomniac, horrible brain fog, more sensitive to thoughts, depressed, no motivation, and always tired! Anxiety and occasional panic attacks still linger. I am already tapering down to 225 mg. I don’t think this will work out. It makes me feel flat and just as or more depressed than being unmedicated. Mood stabilizers don’t work for me. At this point, I’d rather try an antipsychotic over Depabloat."