Lithium Carbonate—messing up my communication skills?

Posted , 3 users are following.

So I have Bipolar II. I was on Lamictal for a little bit but I stopped because it wasn’t working and I was forgetting how to spell words. Now I am on Lithium and I feel like I am forgetting how to order my words in a sentence, if that makes any sense at all. It’s like I can’t speak well at all in a coherent manner (sometimes). The main problem is when I am writing emails or papers (I am a college student). I feel like they don’t make any sense and I spend an excessive amount of time obsessing over it, I feel so dumb. Would the lithium cause this at all? I have been on it for about 3 months. I was misadiagnosed with depression for about 10 years, so I was on basically every SSRI out there. Lamictal and lithium have been the only mood stabilizers I have tried. I really like the Lithium, I feel it has made my mood a thousand times better, but I don’t want to be on it if it’s messing up my communication skills. Has anyone ever had this problem? 

0 likes, 2 replies

2 Replies

  • Posted

    I'm sorry Sarah but I have no experience with Lithium.

    I have been diagnosed as bipolar myself but have been prescribed Epilim and Olanzapine.

    Hopefully someone else on this forum is able to help youi.

    Just didn't want you to feel as though your post had vanished into thin air...

  • Posted

    I do!  It's really annoying constantly jumbling up sentences and mangling grammar and forgetting the basics.  It seems to be a common problem for lithium users.  Maybe ask your doctor if you can take a lower dose? 

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.