I do believe that pharmaceutical doses of lithium have the ability to really do a number on one's ability to actively function and have read all the dangers of monitoring the doses.
I'm on 10 mg of lithium Orotate daily.
I started at 5 mg daily and didn't think I had noticed any changes... however, I am still having some issues getting my b vitamins balanced out 'quite right' - so I take a week off of all supplements one week out of every month.
I DID notice a pattern of behavior in my off weeks during the first few months after starting it. And man o man... it IS making an impact improvement.
I don't know if anyone else has noticed it, but the vast majority of ME/CFS /Phoenix Rising members with ME/CFS or whatever name is best to use... tend to have a VERY short FUSE on their temper?
I think I'm all level headed, but I do get angry often... and it's not like it's not typically justified after all... we have been lied to, manipulated, blamed, and treated like we don't matter for a bit longer than seems reasonable.
BUT THAT SAID...? Even just the use of "ME/CFS" or "CFS" or forbid, "chronic fatigue" and people tend to GO OFF on even the kindest people trying to help out.
Welll... back to my history on lithium. During my off weeks? I'd get into a RAGE over the slightest insult. Someone annoy me and I was level 9 pissed off. ANGRY. During my weeks while taking 5 mg? I would still get angry over slight things... but it's a level 4 angry. Not so angry as to want to curse someone out, but irritated.
As an experiment I went to 10 mg (with NO interest in trying to increase it further btw)... and Yes... someone did something irritating to me... or insulting to me... or made my life more difficult. But now? I can discuss it calmly without feeling angry about it at all. But don't harm my kids - I still have enough of my emotions that I don't feel like they are blunted - it's just that the 'fuse' to my anger means you really got to do something that is HARMFUL before I'll get upset.
Because I'm still trying to get 'balanced' I still have off weeks, but what I'm planning is to take 5 mg Lithium Orotate daily instead of the 10 mg on my off weeks. But I do feel like small doses are improving my quality of life right now because I don't get angry over every little thing. I should have sought out if I was low on it before starting supplementation - but honestly, I get a little tired over fighting with my doctor over every little test.
Small doses are far more safer than high doses as we already know that there are some areas that naturally have higher doses in the water supply than what I'm taking. And it makes my life easier.
I'm not telling everyone else to go out and take it like it's a happy pill. But I started on this journey for other reasons and am happy I found something that just takes that 'fuse' and keeps me from being so irrationally irritable.