Psychiatrist,

Hypothetically: If a person within the last 24 hours, took 600 milligrams of Lithium Carbonate and 10 milligrams of Parotine/Paxil, could the prescription from a psychiatrist be for simple depression, or would it necessarily indicate a prescription for Bipolar? Is there a percentage of certainty in the answer, for example, 50/50 Depression/Bipolar, 100% Depression or 100% Bipolar, etc.?

Sincerely appreciated, P.

This is a very important question. I am assuming you are interested in knowing what you are being treated for. Prescribing Lithium usually means that a person is Bipolar. Still, for years psychiatrists have prescribed Lithium as an agent of augmentation for antidepressants. Lithium "sensitizes" serotonin receptors to antidepressants, potentially making them more effective. If you have symptoms of mania, agitation or non-response to antidepressants, or feeling agitated or "speeded up" on the antidepressant, you may be Bipolar.

My belief is that regular folks, high performance folks, depression and Bipolar disorder are on a continuum. My advice is to speak to your psychiatrist about your diagnosis and the intent of your treatment. One thought to keep in mind is that in psychiatry and the rest of nature there is more that we don't know than we do.

I hope this helps and thanks for asking.