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Bipolar Dx and Lithium
I have been reading over the posts concerning Bipolar Dx and teens on Lithium. Yes Lithium works well but there should be a real concern with this drug. It will kill the thyroid gland if not watched extremely closely. My mother who is a high functioning A-type personality Bipolar sufferer was on Lithium for an extended amt of time. The psychiatrist did not keep tabs on Lithium levels and her thyroid function. It completely destroyed her thyroid and now she must take synthetic thyroid hormone forever.
There are other drugs that work very well but all of them must be monitored closely. Depakote, Zoloft, Welbutrin (can cause violent outbursts), there are tons more. Sometimes a cocktail of drugs is necessary to balance out the disease. Please try to find a psychiatrist, not psychologist, who specializes in treatment of bipolar. This is necessary to receive the best possible outcome.
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