Does lithium dull your personality?

Another potential side effect is cognitive dulling, which is when a person does not feel as “sharp” or alert as they once did. Sometimes, a doctor may have difficulty telling whether a person is depressed or experiencing cognitive dulling due to lithium treatment.

Does lithium affect your personality?

Substantial affect and mood changes are induced by lithium carbonate. Lethargy, dysphoria, a loss of interest in interacting with others and the environment, and a state of increased mental confusion were reported. No generalized effects were found in the responses to the personality inventories.

Does lithium dull your emotions?

However, some people find it slows down their thinking or makes them feel a bit "numb". Sometimes it's hard to know whether this is because the lithium is doing its work to control your mood (if you have mania). Talk to your doctor if you're worried that lithium is slowing down your thinking or numbing your emotions.

How does lithium change your behavior?

Lithium acts on a person's central nervous system (brain and spinal cord). Doctors don't know exactly how lithium works to stabilize a person's mood, but it is thought to help strengthen nerve cell connections in brain regions that are involved in regulating mood, thinking and behavior.

Can lithium make you emotionally numb?

Lithium only works in approximately one-third of patients. But even if the drug does work, it comes with a raft of side effects, including nausea, muscle tremors, emotional numbing, weight gain, and birth defects.

Why Does Lithium Help Bipolar Disorder?

Does lithium make you lazy?

Lithium may affect your mental alertness or make you drowsy. Do not drive until you know how lithium will affect you. Avoid alcohol. Ensure you keep adequately hydrated while taking lithium and maintain an adequate salt intake (your doctor will discuss this requirement).

Can lithium make you more depressed?

Thyroid problems

Hypothyroidism is another concern for those taking lithium. In a person with hypothyroidism, the thyroid gland does not produce enough hormones. This condition can cause symptoms that include: depression.

What will lithium do to a normal person?

Results indicate that such a course of lithium in normals induces dysphoric mood change and psychomotor slowing, without significant relationship to either plasma or RBC lithium concentrations.

Is lithium used for anything other than bipolar?

People use lithium supplements for alcohol use disorder, Alzheimer disease, depression, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support any of these uses. Lithium carbonate and lithium citrate are approved by the U.S. FDA as prescription drugs for bipolar disorder.

Is lithium good for BPD?

Lithium and anticonvulsant medications have shown effectiveness in treating symptoms of BPD such as mood swings and improvement in aggression and impulsivity; however, they are not effective for borderline patients with depressive symptoms.

What does being on lithium feel like?

When first starting lithium, many people experience common side effects, such as nausea, shakiness, or greater thirst. Regular blood monitoring is important to make sure you are taking a safe and effective dose of lithium.

Does lithium make you less creative?

First line medication for bipolar disorder, lithium, can cause cognitive dulling and slowing, and limit emotional and perceptual range for some individuals. This is especially significant for those working in creative fields such as artists and writers, who draw on their emotions for creating their work.

Does lithium make you docile?

In a state hospital, hospital inmates could be easily subdued with lithium, becoming docile under the drug's effect.

Does lithium make you flat?

About 1 person in 10 to 15 gets dull, flat, and “blah” (the “lithium made me a zombie” effect, overrepresented in online testimonials). I explain to my patients in advance that if this happens, we'll give up on it. This adverse effect does not diminish with time and generally persists even if the dose is reduced.

Is lithium good for anxiety?

Lithium improves the body's ability to synthesize serotonin. This simply means that the body's levels of serotonin increase in response to lithium, which has the effect of improving mood and reducing feelings of anxiousness.

Is lithium a mood stabilizer?

Lithium. Lithium is a mood stabilising medication commonly used to treat bipolar disorder. It can be prescribed as: lithium carbonate (Camcolit, Priadel, Liskonum)

How long can you stay on lithium?

If you have bipolar disorder, you may be offered lithium for a longer period, to prevent or reduce your risk of relapse. Your doctor may suggest that you commit to taking lithium for at least six months, possibly longer. This is because it can take some time to make sure the medication is working effectively.

What are the dangers of taking lithium?

Call your doctor right away if you have diarrhea, vomiting, drowsiness, muscle weakness, tremors, unsteadiness, or other problems with muscle control or coordination. These may be symptoms of lithium toxicity.

Does lithium help you sleep?

Lithium reduced rapid eye movement sleep and prevented memory impairment induced by sleep deprivation.

What is dysphoric mood?

• “Dysphoria (dysphoric mood)”: “a condition in. which a person experiences intense feelings of. depression, discontent, and in some cases. indifference to the world around them” (p. 821)

Is 900 mg of lithium a lot?

The right dosage of lithium varies from person to person, but most people are prescribed between 900 milligrams (mg) to 1,200 mg per day, in divided doses. Some people take more than 1,200 mg per day, especially during acute episodes. Others may be more sensitive to lower doses.

Why is lithium being discontinued?

Results. Of 873 patients treated with lithium, 54% discontinued lithium, corresponding to 561 episodes of lithium discontinuation. In 62% of episodes, lithium was discontinued due to adverse effects, in 44% due to psychiatric reasons, and in 12% due to physical reasons interfering with lithium treatment.

What happens when you go off lithium?

If you suddenly stop taking lithium, one of the drugs most commonly prescribed to stabilize bipolar disorder moods, you can experience “rebound,” a worsening of your bipolar symptoms.

Can bipolar cause brain fog?

Brain fog can occur in anyone with bipolar depression and is often characterized by symptoms like memory lapses, disorganization, groping for words, and difficulty learning new information. Bipolar brain fog can also be considered a form of memory loss that people with bipolar disorder experience regularly.