no improvement yet on lithium

[Titeuf]

I've been taking lithium carbonate 400mg for a week, I don't notice any change at the moment. no side effects

[Determined-Mind]

Just to let you know, from what I've read about the use of lithium for PSSD, it's recommended (by Meso, a neuropharmacologist specializing in PSSD) to take it below 400 mg lithium carbonate (40 mg lithium orotate) because at therapeutic doses for bipolar patients, it's pro-anhedonia and pro-sexual dysfunction (decreased libido, erectile dysfunction).

What's more, I've read him say that lithium for PSSD may not work on its own, so he recommends combining it with panax ginseng, BCAA, tyrosine, Shilajit, etc. What's more, women may benefit more from lithium - or at lower doses.

I've collected the stories of improvement with lithium (orotate) here, but all combine it with other compounds: https://coda.io/d/Treatment-options-for ... SFe#_luiuu

Personally, I also started taking lithium orotate 10 days ago (I'm currently taking 10 mg - equivalent to 100 mg lithium carbonate). No improvement in physical anhedonia and perhaps a subtle improvement in sexual drive (more masturbatory behaviour, less avoidance of sexual relations). It's subtle and for the moment doesn't improve the quality of my subjective experience.

In the next few days, I plan to do a Lithium + Saint Johns Wort extract test as I'm intrigued by a trial reported in 2021.

Then I plan to stack Panax Ginseng, Ginkgo Biloba and other substances I have at home. To be continued

[Impermanence]

There is one study saying to take 80mg aspirin with Lithium to avoid sexual side effect. Maybe it could be good.
Ginseng has worsened me and many other dudes.
I disagree with low dose Lithium, once again there is no PSSD among lithium carbonate users and this for me the best evidence Lithium Carbonate, in dose use for bipolar disorder, could avoid and maybe treat PSSD.

[pilha]

i am taking lithium carborate 800 mg for two months (i know i know i am taking blood samples and i am fine). i am lucky I have no side effects but hand trembling. And don't forget that sexual side effects or anhedonia can happen but just during intake. i think the theory behind lithium is that it can modulate the 5HT1A expression, but the experts say it can take a long time to feel the effects, because it's a process. I have 100% genital numbness and during 2 days i had this window where i felt my testicles like 100% and shaft 30%. the days before this happened i massaged the pudend nerve so i guess it was something about that, maybe lithium can help too I don't know. Now I am in the baseline again. Just want to share that this nightmare is not permanent, some people recover and in my case i can tell now for sure we can have improvments, we just need to find what initiate this windows.

Just to be clear: I am not telling you to take 800mg lithium, that's a high dose. I am lucky cause i feel good with with but some people can't even handle even 400.
I am not saying pelvic floor massage is the cure for genital anestesia, i just think at leat for some people the estimulation can help getting better
i know some of you tryed this twho things and didn't work. It's like SSRI don't cause PSSD to everyone

[Determined-Mind]

The massage + lithium combination can certainly help. In my opinion, it should be tried every day for people with numbness. Touch is one of the things that can stimulate neuroplasticity, and lithium is known to stimulate neuroplasticity too.

That said, I have my doubts as to whether improvement in physical anhedonia can be achieved with lithium + massage alone. But there must surely be winning combinations including these 2 elements. We need to find them.

Moreover, I have the impression that with my 10 mg of lithium orotate, I have non-sexual changes (observed by my partner, as lithium seems to be the only thing that can explain these changes): around 10 p.m. I no longer feel tired, and I go to bed around 2 - 3 a.m.. Throughout the day, I feel energetic and hyper-creative. I'm self-employed and literally work from morning to night. I haven't played Mario Kart for days, whereas before the lithium, I used to play every day and several times a day.

As for this "hard work" aspect, I feel a bit like my old self again. It seems even more intense. I don't think that part of me had disappeared because of medication, but more because of a big burn out several years ago. Chronic stress is known to create brain damage. So much the better if lithium restores that part.

I love my work since I've been taking lithium (before lithium I liked my work, but lithium seems to increase my appeal and motivation): my brain is bubbling with ideas and the desire to do something to move my project forward.

To be precise, I noticed improvements in my productivity about ten days BEFORE taking the lithium, but it seems that the lithium synergizes with contextual elements that helped me get back to work.

I take the lithium around 10pm, my usual bedtime. Yesterday I managed to fall asleep just at 3am (I took 1g glycine and 5mg melatonin at 2:30am to stimulate sleep).

I'm going to try changing the time I take the lithium to see if it makes a difference to my bedtime. I'll try taking it at noon and see.

[Titeuf]

Just to let you know, from what I've read about the use of lithium for PSSD, it's recommended (by Meso, a neuropharmacologist specializing in PSSD) to take it below 400 mg lithium carbonate (40 mg lithium orotate) because at therapeutic doses for bipolar patients, it's pro-anhedonia and pro-sexual dysfunction (decreased libido, erectile dysfunction).

What's more, I've read him say that lithium for PSSD may not work on its own, so he recommends combining it with panax ginseng, BCAA, tyrosine, Shilajit, etc. What's more, women may benefit more from lithium - or at lower doses.

I've collected the stories of improvement with lithium (orotate) here, but all combine it with other compounds: https://coda.io/d/Treatment-options-for ... SFe#_luiuu

Personally, I also started taking lithium orotate 10 days ago (I'm currently taking 10 mg - equivalent to 100 mg lithium carbonate). No improvement in physical anhedonia and perhaps a subtle improvement in sexual drive (more masturbatory behaviour, less avoidance of sexual relations). It's subtle and for the moment doesn't improve the quality of my subjective experience.

In the next few days, I plan to do a Lithium + Saint Johns Wort extract test as I'm intrigued by a trial reported in 2021.

Then I plan to stack Panax Ginseng, Ginkgo Biloba and other substances I have at home. To be continued

ok ok, but I have also read testimonials from people who take it in higher doses. Bunny here on the forum, there is another guy too who has seen improvement and I read that at low doses it calms while at higher doses it is more stimulating. I admit that all these experiences are contradictory.
Apparently I can't mix lithium carbonate with ginseng or biloba because it can increase its concentration.
At the moment, I have no idea what blood concentration I have anyway.
I think we will see this at the next psych appointment and some have seen their symptoms improve after several months, not automatically when treatment is started. As I said, I don't notice any change in my mood, neither better nor worse, my sleep is also not better outside this is also one of the effects. I don't have the urge to urinate more, nor an increase in appetite, nor hair falling out.
I'm still able to get an erection but it's mechanical.
And it's still a little early it's only been a week but I will say if I see any changes for good or bad.
By the way, I take a Vit B12 supplement, can I do this with lithium? this supplement corresponds to 1000µg, I believe this corresponds to 40,000% of the recommended daily dose

[Titeuf]

There is one study saying to take 80mg aspirin with Lithium to avoid sexual side effect. Maybe it could be good.
Ginseng has worsened me and many other dudes.
I disagree with low dose Lithium, once again there is no PSSD among lithium carbonate users and this for me the best evidence Lithium Carbonate, in dose use for bipolar disorder, could avoid and maybe treat PSSD.

I will try an aspirin, perhaps made easier by its effect which makes the blood more fluid. I was completely unaware that I should avoid ibuprofen and that it is apparently more toxic to smoke when taking lithium.

I think that lithium can't do any harm, of course, if well controlled and not taken for "10 years" either.
Studies show beneficial effects on the frontal and prefrontal cortex, it also extends dendrites, which are in poor condition in depression and other disorders. A positive effect on cognitive functions. apparently reduces brain inflammation. decrease the quantity of acetylcholine receptors in skeletal muscles.
improve cellular respiration.
I correct what I noticed: a loss of motivation to undertake my work around the house and some facial spasms but which only last 1 or 2 seconds

[Titeuf]

i am taking lithium carborate 800 mg for two months (i know i know i am taking blood samples and i am fine). i am lucky I have no side effects but hand trembling. And don't forget that sexual side effects or anhedonia can happen but just during intake. i think the theory behind lithium is that it can modulate the 5HT1A expression, but the experts say it can take a long time to feel the effects, because it's a process. I have 100% genital numbness and during 2 days i had this window where i felt my testicles like 100% and shaft 30%. the days before this happened i massaged the pudend nerve so i guess it was something about that, maybe lithium can help too I don't know. Now I am in the baseline again. Just want to share that this nightmare is not permanent, some people recover and in my case i can tell now for sure we can have improvments, we just need to find what initiate this windows.

Just to be clear: I am not telling you to take 800mg lithium, that's a high dose. I am lucky cause i feel good with with but some people can't even handle even 400.
I am not saying pelvic floor massage is the cure for genital anestesia, i just think at leat for some people the estimulation can help getting better
i know some of you tryed this twho things and didn't work. It's like SSRI don't cause PSSD to everyone

it's already a good dose 800mg but it's still reasonable, I've seen some take 1600mg 1900mg even more than 2000mg

[pilha]

WOW I am really surprised, I am not a doctor but my psychiatrist doesn't allow me more because she says even 800mg is higher then the recommended dose and it's dangerous. And I am doing blood tests and she knows everything about PSSD so she is willing to "break the rules"... i bet 1600 or smth people can't take for a long period because the risk of poisoning... plus it's PDDS free but your hands shake like gelatine, and some people have stomach issues, nausea, headhache etc even with 400
i guess it can be like the estrogen protocol, some people will go to the hospital emergency

[kaimbre]

The massage + lithium combination can certainly help. In my opinion, it should be tried every day for people with numbness. Touch is one of the things that can stimulate neuroplasticity, and lithium is known to stimulate neuroplasticity too.

That said, I have my doubts as to whether improvement in physical anhedonia can be achieved with lithium + massage alone. But there must surely be winning combinations including these 2 elements. We need to find them.

Moreover, I have the impression that with my 10 mg of lithium orotate, I have non-sexual changes (observed by my partner, as lithium seems to be the only thing that can explain these changes): around 10 p.m. I no longer feel tired, and I go to bed around 2 - 3 a.m.. Throughout the day, I feel energetic and hyper-creative. I'm self-employed and literally work from morning to night. I haven't played Mario Kart for days, whereas before the lithium, I used to play every day and several times a day.

As for this "hard work" aspect, I feel a bit like my old self again. It seems even more intense. I don't think that part of me had disappeared because of medication, but more because of a big burn out several years ago. Chronic stress is known to create brain damage. So much the better if lithium restores that part.

I love my work since I've been taking lithium (before lithium I liked my work, but lithium seems to increase my appeal and motivation): my brain is bubbling with ideas and the desire to do something to move my project forward.

To be precise, I noticed improvements in my productivity about ten days BEFORE taking the lithium, but it seems that the lithium synergizes with contextual elements that helped me get back to work.

I take the lithium around 10pm, my usual bedtime. Yesterday I managed to fall asleep just at 3am (I took 1g glycine and 5mg melatonin at 2:30am to stimulate sleep).

I'm going to try changing the time I take the lithium to see if it makes a difference to my bedtime. I'll try taking it at noon and see.

I've been taking 300mg of lithium carbonate for 9 days - more precisely 150mg twice a day - and I also had severe insomnia in the first week of use. This insomnia improved about 3 days ago.