Question:
Can I take lithium after having gastric bypass?
I was just diagnosed with bipolar disorder and the doc is thinking lithium. He is my new PCP I felt very comfortable with him and he was the first person I was able to open up to and I finally feel I have the right diagnosis. Only problem is I didn't hear the confidence in his voice when I asked if it was safe to take since I had gastric bypass. He looked it up and said I should be fine. I think I am just scared and could use a little reassurance. — nextbigloser (posted on June 18, 2008)
June 17, 2008
Hi Kim,
I have Bipolar as well and was on a similar drug which contributed GREATLY
to my current weight gain (along with having a baby and eating
improperly).Bipolar is a bitch..let me tell you.I have had it for several
years and I have gone from the very low to the extremely high.My recent
bout with alcohol has been one of the classic features of Bipolar..read up
on it.Take your meds but if you find that you put on weight despite eating
well and exercising, ask your doctor if you could try something
else.Lithium is an older used drug.Didnt realize they were still usuing
that to treat Bipolar.I was on Carbamazipine..came off because the weight
gain was more depressing than my issues with alcohol..so now am on
nothing.
The trick is to take it and see if it works for you.If it not..ask for
another option.You are the patient and you know what your body is capable
of handling..work with your doctor.
— caymanbabe
June 17, 2008
I am bi-polar as well and have been on a cocktail of meds, one of them
lithum. My doctor does not see a problem with my up coming surgery and has
been on board since the beginning. I take lithum, abilitfy, and tegratol.
It is very carfully balanced. I hope everything goes well with you. I am
hoping when the weight comes off my meds will be cut.
— jen-mom
June 18, 2008
My son is bipolar and has been on a variety of meds over the past 5 years.
I think the combination he is currently on is finally right. He takes
Abilify and Trileptal. My Mom is also bipolar and she only takes Abilify.
She tried lithium but it had so many side effects and made her very sick.
She says the Abilify has been a life saver (literally) and she has lost 15
pounds over the past few months. I had gastric bypass surgery June 5th this
year and take Effexor for stress/anxiety. I did not take my medication the
2 days after my surgery. I did OK but really was feeling the need for my
meds on the 3rd day and that's when I got to take them. The biggest issue
with the meds is swallowing. You might have to crush them up and take them
that way. If you are on a time release dosage, that could be a problem. If
I were you, I would get another opinion before starting lithium.
— monibunnie
June 18, 2008
get a second opinon from a professional that deals in that diorder
— gagesmom
June 18, 2008
I am Bipolar and have been a many of year..been stabilized for over 18
years and the drugs that I take is perphenazine and generic celexa. I am
off the generic celexa (three months) but I will always be on perphenazine.
I just crushed them up and take them. I have never had a problem. The
side effects of perphenazine, they say is weight gain but I have lost
weight with it. I took lithium for several years but was changed to
perphenazine, which helped me alot. Good luck...you will be fine.
— dyates2948
June 18, 2008
If you are concerned about taking meds with this procedure, perhaps you
should look at the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy. It is very nearly as
effective as the Gastric Bypass when it comes to weight loss. The Vertical
Sleeve Gastrectomy does NOT have the concerns with medications that both
the Gastric Bypass and the Duodenal Switch have. The VSG (Vertical Sleeve
Gastrectomy) is STRICTLY a RESTRICTIVE procedure. There is NO bypassing the
intestines to cause difficulty with the metabolism of medications. You can
take ALL of the medications that you were taking PRIOR to the surgery,
AFTER having the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy performed. This procedure is
PERFECT for people who require various medications and do NOT want to have
concerns with restrictions on the TYPES of medications that they can USE
due to their weight loss surgery. Many insurance companies will PAY for the
VSG if they are told that it is MEDICALLY NECESSARY. You should find a
surgeon that performs the VSG and accepts your insurance and see if he can
convince your insurance company to pay for the procedure as medically
necessary due to your medication metabolization issues. If your surgeon
cannot convince the insurance company to pay, perhaps you may want to
consider paying for the procedure yourself. Considering that you will have
to live with the results for the rest of your life, this may be one of your
best investments ever. It seems odd to me that people are willing to spend
more money on a car that they will discard in 7 to 10 years than they are
willing to spend on a surgical procedure that they will have to live with
the RESULTS of for the rest of their lives. If you cannot get the VSG
(assuming that you are interested in it) and you can only get the Gastric
Bypass, then by ALL MEANS, GET IT! The Gastric Bypass is a viable option
for MANY people. It may do well for YOU. Do not put off getting the Gastric
Bypass if it will help you lose weight and become a more healthy person! It
just may be more DIFFICULT to do the job using the Gastric Bypass, than
with the VSG. For more information on the most common weight loss surgery
options, check out my profile page at:
http://www.obesityhelp.com/member/hubarlow/ . Check out my post called
"Surgical Comparisons." If you cannot find the post at my profile
page, check out the March Archives. You will find links to videos about the
most common weight loss options available. Use MY research as a base for
YOUR research. It is VITAL that you do your OWN RESEARCH.
I hope this helps,
Hugh
— hubarlow
June 18, 2008
I agree with the other person....I would seek the advice & care of a
professional in the area. Personally I dont think a pcp should be
prescribing lithium or any antidepressant. I think you need a specialist.
Everyone has their own area of expertise. As far as medications &
surgery that shouldnt be a problem.
— Linda R.
June 18, 2008
My daughter is bipolar and is on Lamictol. We are all ADD so she also
takes Strattera. Lamictol does not cause her to gain weight at all. She
is very happy with the Lamictol and it really helps her maintain stability.
She is a straight A college student and works as a waitress. She would
never be able to do either without her meds. Lamictol is a very small pill
and I think it would be easy to take and would digest well.
I have had a lap band and I take Clonazapam and Lexapro for depressiona and
anxiety. I am not bipolar, but definitely am lacking in seritonin. I take
my meds with no problems at all.
Through my experience I would really recommend that you go to a
physchiatrist for you meds for treating bipolar. They are familiar with
all the meds that are out there and can fit them to your needs. My primary
physician would not even prescribe a refill for those meds. He said it is
important that you see a psychiatrist to assure that you are receiving
complete treatment, and that they are up to date on all the meds available
to treat mental issues.
Look in the phonebook or ask you physician for a Behavioral Healthcare
facility that provides counseling and psychiatric care. This way you know
you are getting a well rounded physician that will do what is best for
you.
And most of all, congrats on taking the biggest and most important step
towards you happiness and well being. Acknowledging that you are bipolar
and need meds to help treat this is a big and important step. You will be
SO much happier once you are on meds and feeling more stable. Getting rid
of those mood swings will change your life. Good luck and God Bless.
jeri
— JeriBrown
June 19, 2008
I also have this miserable mental illness. I would definatly check with
your gastric surgeon as Lithium is known for weight gain amoung other
things. Additionally, I would look to find a Psyciatrist before taking that
med as there are many newer ones with much less side effects. Best of luck,
remember you are a good person, stay positive.
Ira
— Ira Sansolo
June 19, 2008
I too am Bipolar and have been taking Lithium for over 10 years now. I had
gastric bypass surgery on 4-15-08. My surgeon assured me that it would
still be okay to take the lithium and other medications I have been taking
over the years for my mental illness. It's been 9 weeks since the surgery
and I have yet to see where it has hindered my weight loss. I have
currently lost 56 pounds. Of course, everyone is not the same, so as
mentioned by others members, seek the advice and/or second opinion of a
qualified medical professional if you are not sure you should continue with
the lithium. I wish you all the best.
Andrea
— athomas8413
June 19, 2008
Thank you all for answering. I started taking the Lithium and will be
monitoring my weight. I am almost 6 months post op. Down 90lbs! So far
so good I am already starting to feel a little better.
— nextbigloser
June 19, 2008
I have not had WLS, but in all my research, lithium has not been a reason
to keep me from having it. I have tried a number of drugs but do the best
on a combination of Lithium, Lamictal, and Wellbutrin. You can get Lithium
in a variety of forms... there's a liquid (which tastes pretty gross) and
you can also take 100mg pills which are about the size of a tic tac.
Hydration, when you are on lithium, is very important so make you keep
drinking. I would also like to suggest that you find a psychiatrist to
monitor you meds... bipolar can get complicated and it helps to have a
specialist working with you.
Good luck.
— mrsidknee
June 21, 2008
I too am bipolar and am working towards having my surgery. I take Lithium,
Lamictal, Zoloft, Seroquel and Lorazepam and have been stabilized for 7
years now. I brought the question up to my psychiatrist and he says that
there should not be a problem. I've been trying to find others who have the
same diagnosis and so far everyone has been okay. Some have said to get as
many as the meds as you can in liquid form to make it easier. The only one
I know of (so far) is the lithium but I haven't tried it yet. I'm working
on my 6 month doctor supervised weight loss program now. Good luck and
please do keep us posted as to what you find out! By the way, it took the
doctors four years to diagnose me with bi-polar and another 3 to find the
right medication combo. Hang in there though and be persistant and life is
so much better being stable! Good luck! :o) Michelle
— mkettles
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