Bipolar lithium

[12green34]

Has anyone had trouble with low mood after pp and had lithium prescribed? This has happened to me today. I'm feeling really low in mood and wondering if anyone else has tried lithium and if it has helped.Thanks

Anna

[Jenny_at_APP Partner]

Hello 12green34,

Welcome to the forum and thank you for writing here. My name's Jenny, I'm one of the peer support coordinators at Action on Postpartum Psychosis (APP). I experienced PP after my first son was born in 2012.

I'm sorry to hear you've experienced PP too. It's such a frightening thing to go through but full recovery is definitely possible, I hope writing here and reading others' experiences will be helpful to you.

I'm sorry to hear you're feeling really low in mood. Sadly a period of depression or low mood seems to be quite common following PP, but please know you're not alone and a lot of women here have been where you are. You won't always feel this way.

I didn't take lithium myself but know a lot of women do take this as a mood stabiliser after PP. I'm sure others will share some experiences of this with you.

We have an insider guide 'Recovery after Postpartum Psychosis' on our website which you might find helpful to have a look at (please note this is currently being updated so some of the links don't work) - app-network.org/postpartum-...

Noting that you are in New Zealand, I also wanted to mention a private Facebook group that some lovely ladies here started specifically for mums in Australia and New Zealand who have experienced PP - facebook.com/groups/4732499...

I hope this is helpful and I'm sure you'll receive more replies here in answer to your question about lithium. Take good care and be very kind to yourself, recovery can be very up and down after PP but you will get there. Thank you again for reaching out here.

Best wishes,

Jenny x

[12green34 in reply to Jenny_at_APP]

Thanks so much Jenny for the info and links x

[Teresa_K_S Volunteer]

hi 12green34,

I take Lithium and have done for the past 17 years. I have been on other meds before that but Lithium has by far been the best for me. Quarterly blood tests are a must. Lithium can affect the kidneys so keeping the 3monthly blood tests is important. I would also recommend keeping a log of your results so you can spot any trends.

After a few years Lithium did affect my thyroid but I chose to take a thyroid tablet and carry on with the Lithium therapy because On the Lithium I was the most stable I had ever been. I hope you soon feel better with your mood picking up. As Jenny says it is very common to experience depression after PP. Recovery can take some time but gradually the good days start to outweigh the bad days. I hope it helps to chat on here with those who have a similar experience

Teresa x

[WonderWomanUK]

Hi 12green34 , I suffered with PPP in November 2023 and have been on lithium for over a year. The mood stabiliser for me was used more for my manic symptoms rather than depressive ones, however over the last year all my emotions have been very stable.

Same as Teresa_K_S it has affected my thyroid and I’ve got to take thyroid medication for the rest of my life.

Sorry to hear you’re feeling low! Hope you can get some help and support! And speak to your doctor about lithium.

Take care

[Alpav]

hiya. Sorry to hear you’ve been through that. I was put on lithium following my PP in late 2021 and it did bring me down from mania well albeit didn’t stop me from sliding into a depression. That said, I’ve heard it’s really good in the postnatal period.

That said, do remember that there are nowadays other choices for bipolar e.g. before my son, I stayed well for a long time on lamotrigine and a high dose of quetiapine to act as mood stabilisers. I’ve also been on SSRIs in the past (citalopram and sertraline) but come off when I’m out of my down. Good luck in finding what works for you xx

[Survivedwithcolor]

Hello Anna,

I had PP way back in 2002 and for years afterward I struggled with episodes of depression, anxiety, and even relapses of psychosis. I am much better now and have been stable for many years.

At one point I was prescribed Lithium when the doctors were trying to figure out what medications would be most effective for me. I didn’t do well with the side effects of it and discontinued it. Later I started Lamotrigine and I still take a very low dose. Although I do not have manic episodes, I have suffered from depression off and on my entire life. The mood stabilizers just help keep everything even and I’ve done well with them. I will say that it took many years of experimenting with different medications to find the ones that worked the best for me. That’s a tough process. Be patient and have faith that one day things will feel better.

It’s very common for women to continue to struggle with mood issues after they’ve had PP. Many of us here have had to continue to manage it. You are not alone. I hope you’ll find a community here or with the NZ Facebook group to write to. Hang in there, this will get better!