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Share your experience: submit a drug review
Below are Lithium Carbonate (Lithium) reviews, ratings, comments submitted by patients and caregivers. Based on a total of 5 ratings/reviews, Lithium Carbonate has an overall score of 7.20. The effectiveness score is 7.20 and the side effect score is 6.40. The scores are on ten point scale: 10 - best, 1 - worst. This information is not vetted and should not be cosidered as clinical evidence. | | Lithium Carbonate review by 32 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | |   |
| Effectiveness: | | Considerably Effective |
| Side effects: | | Moderate Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | Mania |
| Dosage & duration: | | 900 mg per day taken once at night for the period of 10 years |
| Other conditions: | | none |
| Other drugs taken: | | Ortho tricyclen | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | prevented mania and panic experienced with mania |
| Side effects: | | severe acne for first three years. |
| Comments: | | After the initial three years, this drug has worked well for me ever since. |
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| | Lithium Carbonate review by 23 year old male patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Marginally Effective |
| Side effects: | | Moderate Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | bipolar disorder |
| Dosage & duration: | | 1200 MG taken 600 mg twice a day for the period of 1 year |
| Other conditions: | | N/A |
| Other drugs taken: | | N/A | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | I felt a bit calmer and had a little less mania, but it did not help much. |
| Side effects: | | upset stomach, low appetite, metallic taste, tremor |
| Comments: | | I was given lithium in order to calm my manic thoughts and depressive symptoms along with psychotherapy. I did not notice much improvement from lithium.
It did come with unwanted side effects such as persistent tremor and
upset stomach. I would like to try another medication. |
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| | Lithium Carbonate review by 40 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Highly Effective |
| Side effects: | | Mild Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | manic depression |
| Dosage & duration: | | gradual increase to 1200 mg taken daily for the period of 6 months |
| Other conditions: | | none |
| Other drugs taken: | | none | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | Highs and lows of emotions were evened out. Able to get through difficult crises without "falling apart". |
| Side effects: | | Good side effect of being able to sleep better. Have used it since for this reason. Also helped with "restless leg syndrome". Somewhat negative side effect that happy emotions were also muted. |
| Comments: | | Was given a small initial dosage. Blood levels were checked weekly with the dosage being increased until the doctors decided the proper level needed was reached. |
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| | Lithium Carbonate review by 36 year old male patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Considerably Effective |
| Side effects: | | Mild Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | Bipolar Disorder II |
| Dosage & duration: | | 1200 mg taken daily for the period of one year |
| Other conditions: | | Male Pattern Baldness |
| Other drugs taken: | | Propecia | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | Mood more level. My speech is slower, not as pressured. I tend to listen better. I feel more "chill", though I still do experience free floating anxiety. My mood is significantly improved, but the anxiety, while lower, is the most stubborn of the symptoms. |
| Side effects: | | Thirst, tremor, slight weight gain, occassional nausea |
| Comments: | | I have been taking the medication for a year. I had started at 900 mg daily, but found that while I was improved, there was still room for improvement, so the dose was increased to 1200 mg/d. Of all the medications I have taken for bipolar disorder, this has been the most effective; and the cheapest too lol!! |
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| | Lithium Carbonate review by 27 year old female patient | | | Rating |
| Overall rating: | | |
| Effectiveness: | | Moderately Effective |
| Side effects: | | Severe Side Effects | | |
Treatment Info |
| Condition / reason: | | Bipolar |
| Dosage & duration: | | 1500mg taken once daily for the period of months |
| Other conditions: | | Bulimia |
| Other drugs taken: | | Toprimate 400mg, prevacid 60mg | | |
Reported Results |
| Benefits: | | I have found that I have been able to sleep better and my thoughts do not race like they did when I was not taking the lithium. It has not made me as tired or hungry as other meds have which was a welcome surprise. Still not able to focus as well as I had hoped. I work full-time and hold an aditional part-time job and was worried that I was not going to be able to continue with these prior to beginning with this treatment. I have been managing better since taking the lithium. |
| Side effects: | | Blurry vision to the point where I now have to wear glasses. My skin has acne and I didn't have it before. I have to use a prescription to controle it. My acid reflux is terrible and i have to use a prevacid to control that. My skin is very dry and it has become so bad that if i don't moisturize it will bleed. Mild tremmor. Slight confusion and inability to concentrate sometimes. My hair falls out more than it used to. As my doctor says: it's a dirty drug. However, I'm not a zombie and I can sleep so I can learn to live with the above. |
| Comments: | | I started at 150mg and slowly went up by 150mg every time the side effects calmed down. Usually when I stopped tasting the metallic taste in my mouth I would increase the dose. I've been on toprimate 400mg for one year. Therapy with my psychiatrist twice per week (sometimes once per week due to scheduling conflicts). |
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