I've been on lithium just over a month and it completely pulled me out of my depression. I don't feel numb, as some describe—I feel like myself, and I'm so grateful. The only time I've had symptoms on lithium is during a really brief, mild hypo episode (not complaining). The only problem has been side effects: having to pee *constantly,* dry mouth, skin irritation, and sexual dysfunction. 

I have a great psychiatrist who has gone above and beyond in helping me, and I wanted to pass along what's worked. For having to pee constantly: DDAVP .1mg (desmopressin acetate) has brought me back to normal and is safe to take long-term! For dry mouth: Xylimelts (on Amazon) are cheap, last several hours each, and really make a difference. For skin irritation: hydroxyzine 50mg cleared it up and also helps me stay asleep throughout the night. The sexual dysfunction has mostly gone away with time. We've talked about adding in low-dose Wellbutrin to clear it up fully, but Wellbutrin has contributed to making me manic in the past so I'm a bit scared to even take a low dose. I'm almost back to normal sexually, so we'll see if the rest is taken care off with time.

I hope this helps someone!