any endurance athletes on lithium here?

mitchyinge
mitchyinge Posts: 196
in Fitness and Exercise
marathoners, ultras, triathletes - would really like to hear from you about your experiences of training sessions and events lasting more than two hours or so

thanks in advance, my dr doesn't seem to know much although we have established that far from risks of toxicity I'm actually flushing it all through at the moment
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Replies

  • mitchyinge
    mitchyinge Posts: 196
    bump!
  • mitchyinge
    mitchyinge Posts: 196
    anyone?
  • mitchyinge
    mitchyinge Posts: 196
    :ohwell:
  • mitchyinge
    mitchyinge Posts: 196
    I don't want to be the only person on MFP who takes lithium and is enjoying training for a marathon - just want to know how other people manage The Thirst.
  • GiddyupTim
    GiddyupTim Posts: 2,819 Member
    Probably lots of people take lithium. Not a lot train for marathons. Good for you. All I know is that exercise is very good for mood. Sorry.
  • mitchyinge
    mitchyinge Posts: 196
    is ok, am just thrilled to see another person post on this thread! thanks :happy:

    yeah, I have faith though, I did find someone out in the wider web who was into endurance sports and took lithium for a while but they had problems with hydration, not surprisingly :ohwell:
  • mitchyinge
    mitchyinge Posts: 196
    another bump
  • mitchyinge
    mitchyinge Posts: 196
    eventually I will lose heart and stop bumping up this thread, but in the meantime . . . someone on here must train reasonably hard and regularly for a few hours at a time AND take lithium
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
    Bumping for you. I took lithium a long time ago - it was a horrible experience. However, I can just barely call myself a distance runner now (20 years later), so I don't have insight. There's got to be somebody who does.
  • mitchyinge
    mitchyinge Posts: 196
    Thanks for the bump :)

    I like lithium. Started taking it about 13 years ago, will probably stick with it until my kidneys give up because it keeps me quite well. Wondering whether people on it do anything different about electrolyte replacement and stuff like that though.
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
    http://thefsb.wordpress.com/2008/05/27/lithium-fatigue-athletic-performance-dehydration/
  • mitchyinge
    mitchyinge Posts: 196
    very very interesting, thank you vardaeml! and the comments too - discouraging but interesting

    I wonder if this is why I am slow and whether I always will be :ohwell:
  • trinalily
    trinalily Posts: 18 Member
    Not on lithium, but I am on Wellbutrin, am a triathlete, and have a very, very large sweat rate as a result. I just make sure to get enough SALT when I am going long in the heat. That way I can drink to my heart's delight and not worry about hyponatremia - which is a very real threat when sweating a lot and consuming a lot of water. Pop a few enduralites an hour and I'm good.

    Good for you for getting out there and moving. I suffer from clinical depression/anxiety and will be on meds the rest of my life. Funny thing is that I feel 1000% better when I am training/racing. I can't imagine myself being sedentary now. Too bad more people with MH issues haven't figured this out.
  • mitchyinge
    mitchyinge Posts: 196
    thing is lithium IS a salt, so I don't really know how it works or what I should do when I need to regularly run for more than a couple of hours at a time

    I can taste it on my skin though, the lithium, so am definitely excreting it as I run (which is good, they always warn you that it will build up and poison you if you sweat too much)
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
    I don't think it's the right type of salt though. I think your cells and nerves use Sodium (NA), Potassium (K) and Magnesium (Mg???) to do their work.

    But your question is really good - does it mean that you should still take in electrolytes in an endurance event, or will this put too much pressure on your kidneys? Does this mean that you are more or less prone to water-poisoning?

    It could be a factor in being slow. But maybe not. From everything I've read, there's only so much training can do to boost somebody's speed. A lot of it is just muscle fiber composition.
  • mitchyinge
    mitchyinge Posts: 196
    am going to have a chat with another doctor about it, my dose is quite high (1g) and my serum levels too so maybe can just take a bit less

    there must be quite a few people who have run marathons on lithium though?
  • mitchyinge
    mitchyinge Posts: 196
    another bump
  • mitchyinge
    mitchyinge Posts: 196
    ANYONE?
  • anaisbutterfly7
    anaisbutterfly7 Posts: 71 Member
    I don't take lithium anymore, but I am on three other anti-depressants. I have no noticed anything that would make me think my meds are affecting my althletic performance. I drink, on average, 3 liters of water a day and work out pretty hard. I have noticed that my face doesn't get as red and I am less sweaty lately, but I think it has more to do with just getting in shape, the time change, and the non-cotton clothing I now wear.


    I am glad you enjoy lithium. When it worked for me, I loved it. And working out is the best medicine for my mood disorder :)
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,314 Member
    I've never taken lithium nor trained as an endurance athlete.

    Part of the problem may be that people don't want to discuss this very personal issue on an open forum that is viewable by anyone with an internet connection.

    Just a thought.

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