Guest guest Posted November 7, 2011 Report Share Posted November 7, 2011 My daughter is on Lithium. I am shocked that someone would suggest Lithium as a first resort. Lithium can somethimes be an effective treatment, however, the side effects are significant. My daughter has developed a tremor and requires frequent blood tests to test for the Lithium level as well as her sugar (triglycerides, I think) levels and numerous other aspects that I cannot remember at the moment. In her case, the side effects were weighed against the behavioral problems she was having and we ended up choosing to try the Lithium. However, I waited several years and we tried many other medications first. I can only share my daughter's experience, but the Lithium was prescribed for mood disorder, not for anxiety. Anxiety can be treated very effectively with a combination of medication and therapy. Medication alone can provide relief, but better results are typically seen with the combination of the two. There are so many medications that may provide a benefit with much less side effects. I strongly urge you to talk to a psychiatrist with experience in this area. You mention a " professional " but do not state what this person's background is... There are many people on this list who can provide recommendations. My daughter sees Dr. Kothari in Boca and I am very pleased with her treatment. She can be reached at . Good luck with this decision. Medication can be very effective, but please research and ask questions. Jean Has anyone ever heard of or had experience using Lithium to treat anxiety for pediatrics? My son is 9, dx of Austism. A professional told me he has seen many kids have great success with Lithium. I ws really surprised. I am very afraid of meds, have not tried anything yet, but I do thik my son may need something to help hom w/ anxiety. Just looking for any advice people might have. THANKS! -- Have a lovely day! Jean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 7, 2011 Report Share Posted November 7, 2011 My son is 15 and has had many experiences with different medications since he was 8. He was never given lithium. Your doctor may want to try prozac or celexa first for anxiety. Thats what they had given him. The key is finding a good psychiatrist. They are not always easy to come by. I have also heard of lithium to be used for mood disorder. But with our kids, different meds work differently than they would for a typical person. To: sList Sent: Mon, November 7, 2011 1:31:42 PMSubject: Re: medication My daughter is on Lithium. I am shocked that someone would suggest Lithium as a first resort. Lithium can somethimes be an effective treatment, however, the side effects are significant. My daughter has developed a tremor and requires frequent blood tests to test for the Lithium level as well as her sugar (triglycerides, I think) levels and numerous other aspects that I cannot remember at the moment. In her case, the side effects were weighed against the behavioral problems she was having and we ended up choosing to try the Lithium. However, I waited several years and we tried many other medications first. I can only share my daughter's experience, but the Lithium was prescribed for mood disorder, not for anxiety. Anxiety can be treated very effectively with a combination of medication and therapy. Medication alone can provide relief, but better results are typically seen with the combination of the two. There are so many medications that may provide a benefit with much less side effects. I strongly urge you to talk to a psychiatrist with experience in this area. You mention a "professional" but do not state what this person's background is... There are many people on this list who can provide recommendations. My daughter sees Dr. Kothari in Boca and I am very pleased with her treatment. She can be reached at . Good luck with this decision. Medication can be very effective, but please research and ask questions. Jean Has anyone ever heard of or had experience using Lithium to treat anxiety for pediatrics? My son is 9, dx of Austism. A professional told me he has seen many kids have great success with Lithium. I ws really surprised. I am very afraid of meds, have not tried anything yet, but I do thik my son may need something to help hom w/ anxiety. Just looking for any advice people might have. THANKS! -- Have a lovely day! Jean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 7, 2011 Report Share Posted November 7, 2011 I have given my son lithium orotate 5mg that can be purchased at GNC or on the web and it has worked well, but if your child is on prescribed meds, you may want to discuss it with your child's doctor before trying it. I get the lithium orotate 5mg from the health food store rather than a prescribed lithium, because it is a very low dose. Just enough to control my son's anxiety. Also, The side effects and safety concerns that usually apply to high dose lithium therapy are not as a rule, present when using lithium orotate You may want to try this prior to getting the prescribed larger dose lithium. You might want to start with just one tablet a day and not do more than 2 per day with a 9 year old. My son is 28 and weighs 190 ounds and his doctor said he can take up to 6 per day without risk of toxicity. As long as your child's liver function etc. is checked on a regular basis you shouldn't have any problems with the lithium orotate. It is my understanding that Lithium carbonate and other forms are stronger and more toxic. Another product that may help is Inositol taken with a light snack or with breakfast (Inositol -is a not-so-well-known nutrient of the vitamin B family. A study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry suggested that inositol is effective in the treatment of panic disorders in doses of 6g one to two times daily. Other research has indicated a role for inositol in obsessive-compulsive disorders, bulimia and binge-eating and/or depression. It may also be useful in various mood disorders. The dose range is from 12 to 18 g per day.) Hope this info is helpful. Glenda > > Has anyone ever heard of or had experience using Lithium to treat anxiety for pediatrics? My son is 9, dx of Austism. A professional told me he has seen many kids have great success with Lithium. I ws really surprised. I am very afraid of meds, have not tried anything yet, but I do thik my son may need something to help hom w/ anxiety. Just looking for any advice people might have. THANKS! > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 7, 2011 Report Share Posted November 7, 2011 Usually Lithium is used for schizophrenia. I am not a doctor you can consult with a pediatric Psyquiatrist .Sent from my iPadOmayra Matamoros, MHSA, JD Has anyone ever heard of or had experience using Lithium to treat anxiety for pediatrics? My son is 9, dx of Austism. A professional told me he has seen many kids have great success with Lithium. I ws really surprised. I am very afraid of meds, have not tried anything yet, but I do thik my son may need something to help hom w/ anxiety. Just looking for any advice people might have. THANKS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 7, 2011 Report Share Posted November 7, 2011 Lithium is a typical mood stabilizer used in mainly bi polar disorder. It does have other uses for anxiety, etc, but is not a first line anti anxiety medication. Maybe the doctor who is suggesting lithium feels that the anxiety is due to a mood disorder/dysfunction? To: sList Sent: Monday, November 7, 2011 5:29:05 PMSubject: Re: medication Usually Lithium is used for schizophrenia. I am not a doctor you can consult with a pediatric Psyquiatrist .Sent from my iPad Omayra Matamoros, MHSA, JD Has anyone ever heard of or had experience using Lithium to treat anxiety for pediatrics? My son is 9, dx of Austism. A professional told me he has seen many kids have great success with Lithium. I ws really surprised. I am very afraid of meds, have not tried anything yet, but I do thik my son may need something to help hom w/ anxiety. Just looking for any advice people might have. THANKS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 7, 2011 Report Share Posted November 7, 2011 We used a multi-mineral for years that had natural lithium in it. I would not recommend pharmaceutical grade lithium for a child. medication Has anyone ever heard of or had experience using Lithium to treat anxiety for pediatrics? My son is 9, dx of Austism. A professional told me he has seen many kids have great success with Lithium. I ws really surprised. I am very afraid of meds, have not tried anything yet, but I do thik my son may need something to help hom w/ anxiety. Just looking for any advice people might have. THANKS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 8, 2011 Report Share Posted November 8, 2011 My 16 year old son has been on Lithium for 3 months. He has stopped biting his hands till they bleed. His anxiety is very much lower and he has more control of his behaviors. We have increased his dose 3 times in 3 months but he is still on a very low dose. He was sleepy in the beginning but that wore off and I don't see other side effects at the moment. We are working very closely with our doctor and watching for tremors but things are going well. Since we started Lithium I have heard of so many people that are on it. We are going to Dr. Castellonos in Coral Gables at .To: sList Sent: Mon, November 7, 2011 7:45:00 PMSubject: Re: medication We used a multi-mineral for years that had natural lithium in it. I would not recommend pharmaceutical grade lithium for a child. medication Has anyone ever heard of or had experience using Lithium to treat anxiety for pediatrics? My son is 9, dx of Austism. A professional told me he has seen many kids have great success with Lithium. I ws really surprised. I am very afraid of meds, have not tried anything yet, but I do thik my son may need something to help hom w/ anxiety. Just looking for any advice people might have. THANKS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 9, 2011 Report Share Posted November 9, 2011 Blake has been on Lithium for a couple of years now along with other drugs mixed in. He does have some tremors, but it's better than having him banging his head on the floor. But he's 20. I don't know about using it with a nine year old Val > > My 16 year old son has been on Lithium for 3 months. He has stopped biting his > hands till they bleed. His anxiety is very much lower and he has more control of > his behaviors. We have increased his dose 3 times in 3 months but he is still on > a very low dose. He was sleepy in the beginning but that wore off and I don't > see other side effects at the moment. We are working very closely with our > doctor and watching for tremors but things are going well. Since we started > Lithium I have heard of so many people that are on it. We are going to Dr. > Castellonos in Coral Gables at . > > > > ________________________________ > > To: sList > Sent: Mon, November 7, 2011 7:45:00 PM > Subject: Re: medication > > > Weused a multi-mineral for years that had natural lithium in it. I would not > recommend pharmaceutical grade lithium for a child. > > > > medication > > > > Has anyone ever heard of or had experience using Lithium to treat anxiety for > pediatrics? My son is 9, dx of Austism. A professional told me he has seen many > kids have great success with Lithium. I ws really surprised. I am very afraid of > meds, have not tried anything yet, but I do thik my son may need something to > help hom w/ anxiety. Just looking for any advice people might have. THANKS! > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 14, 2011 Report Share Posted December 14, 2011 Yes, I am an RN and we are considering seeing a Neuro/Peds M.D. to discuss medication for my PDD-NOS young 6 yr/old son....but I am not going to be too quick with this...one has to be cautious....some doctors are quick to prescribe....esp. be careful w/mixing or having multiple meds.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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