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finally coming off lithium, after 21.555 years
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David Dalton
Mar 27, 2013, 10:41:44 PM3/27/13
to
I met with my psychiatrist this afternoon.
My valproic acid blood level was still slightly below
therapeutic range so he increased the divalproex
from 750 mg/day to 1000 mg/day, and he thinks
that he won't need to increase it again in two
weeks time.
Also, beginning tonight I will start to taper off
the lithium carbonate. For the next two weeks
I will drop from 900 mg/day to 600 mg/day. Then
if all has gone well, in two weeks time I will
drop down to 300 mg/day and then later to zero.
(But the Harm Reduction Guide To Coming Off Psychiatric
Drugs & Withdrawal
http://theicarusproject.net/alternative-treatments/harm-reduction-guide-t
o-coming-off-psychiatric-drugs
recommends coming off even more slowly than that, say
by 10% of the original dose every two weeks to avoid
withdrawal symptoms. However I think I should be OK
since I am now on another mood stabilizer [divalproex
sodium] and am still on olanzapine. But I will ask
my family and friends to watch out for unusual symptoms
in me as I come off lithium and for the first while
after I am off lithium.)
I will remain on 10 mg/day of olanzapine.
He had also done kidney blood tests and those
were the same as the last two times they
were done so there is no sign of them getting
suddenly worse, and no need for me to hasten
getting off the lithium, which has caused the
moderate kidney impairment.
--
David Dalton dal...@nfld.com http://www.nfld.com/~dalton (home page)
http://www.nfld.com/~dalton/nf.html Newfoundland&Labrador Travel & Music
http://www.nfld.com/~dalton/dtales.html Salmon on the Thorns (mystic page)
"Here I go again...back into the flame" (Sarah McLachlan)
My valproic acid blood level was still slightly below
therapeutic range so he increased the divalproex
from 750 mg/day to 1000 mg/day, and he thinks
that he won't need to increase it again in two
weeks time.
Also, beginning tonight I will start to taper off
the lithium carbonate. For the next two weeks
I will drop from 900 mg/day to 600 mg/day. Then
if all has gone well, in two weeks time I will
drop down to 300 mg/day and then later to zero.
(But the Harm Reduction Guide To Coming Off Psychiatric
Drugs & Withdrawal
http://theicarusproject.net/alternative-treatments/harm-reduction-guide-t
o-coming-off-psychiatric-drugs
recommends coming off even more slowly than that, say
by 10% of the original dose every two weeks to avoid
withdrawal symptoms. However I think I should be OK
since I am now on another mood stabilizer [divalproex
sodium] and am still on olanzapine. But I will ask
my family and friends to watch out for unusual symptoms
in me as I come off lithium and for the first while
after I am off lithium.)
I will remain on 10 mg/day of olanzapine.
He had also done kidney blood tests and those
were the same as the last two times they
were done so there is no sign of them getting
suddenly worse, and no need for me to hasten
getting off the lithium, which has caused the
moderate kidney impairment.
--
David Dalton dal...@nfld.com http://www.nfld.com/~dalton (home page)
http://www.nfld.com/~dalton/nf.html Newfoundland&Labrador Travel & Music
http://www.nfld.com/~dalton/dtales.html Salmon on the Thorns (mystic page)
"Here I go again...back into the flame" (Sarah McLachlan)
David Dalton
Mar 29, 2013, 8:52:07 PM3/29/13
to
In article <dalton-A556DC....@mx05.eternal-september.org>,
Today I'm mildly down, and I don't know if that
is caused by the recent change in medications
or just correlates with it. But I think I am
still in normal mood range so there is nothing
to worry about.
is caused by the recent change in medications
or just correlates with it. But I think I am
still in normal mood range so there is nothing
to worry about.
David Dalton
Mar 31, 2013, 11:26:58 PM3/31/13
to
In article <dalton-2265FD....@mx05.eternal-september.org>,
David Dalton <dal...@nfld.com> wrote:
> Today I'm mildly down, and I don't know if that
> is caused by the recent change in medications
> or just correlates with it. But I think I am
> still in normal mood range so there is nothing
> to worry about.
Tonight I am fine.
> Today I'm mildly down, and I don't know if that
> is caused by the recent change in medications
> or just correlates with it. But I think I am
> still in normal mood range so there is nothing
> to worry about.
David Dalton
Apr 10, 2013, 12:07:40 PM4/10/13
to
In article <dalton-A556DC....@mx05.eternal-september.org>,
I met with my psychiatrist today and he told me
that my valproic acid blood level was 342 and
350 to 700 is considered therapeutic range,
plus he will be away the week leading up to
May 6, so he doesn't want to reduce the lithium
further just yet. He asked me to get new
bloodwork done in a week's time but didn't
increase the divalproex sodium any more yet.
that my valproic acid blood level was 342 and
350 to 700 is considered therapeutic range,
plus he will be away the week leading up to
May 6, so he doesn't want to reduce the lithium
further just yet. He asked me to get new
bloodwork done in a week's time but didn't
increase the divalproex sodium any more yet.
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